R  KELLEY 

1618  WOODLAND  AV 

PES  MOINES  lA  50309 


I      MAR  17  1998 

DT  636  .K4  S64  1912 
Smith,  C.  C. 
The  life  and  work  of  Jacob 
Kenoly 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


https://archive.org/details/lifeworkofjacobkOOsmit 


JACOB  KEXOLY. 


The  Life  and  Work  of 
Jacob  Kenoly 


By 

C.  C.  SMITH. 


CINCINNATI  : 
PRINTED  FOR  THE  AUTHOR  BY 
METHODIST  BOOK  CONCERN. 


MIR  17  1996 


COPYRIGHT,  1912, 
BT  C.  C.  SMITH. 


DEDICATED  TO  ALL  WHO  AIDED 

3Iaroh  ^tutlg, 

WHOM  HE  EVER  HELD  IN  IjOTOfQ 
REMEMBRANCE. 


FOREWORD 

There  are  scenes  so  beautiful  as  to  defy  artistic 
genius.  There  are  emotions  so  deep  as  to  stifle 
words.  There  are  lives  so  noble  that  tributes 
seem  only  to  detract.  Such  a  life  was  Jacob 
Kenoly's. 

But  if  any  one  in  all  the  world  could  get  at 
the  whiteness  of  this  black  man's  soul,  clothing 
longings  with  speech  and  translating  deeds  into 
words,  surely  the  sympathetic  and  discerning 
heart  of  the  author  of  this  little  sketch  would 
enable  him  to  do  it. 

That  the  task  has  been  mastered,  the  story 
itself  declares.  Here  is  a  message  that  is  more 
than  a  record  of  mission  conquest.  It  is  more 
than  a  story  of  the  overcoming  of  almost  insur- 
mountable obstacles.  It  is  more  than  a  tribute 
to  a  great  race  struggling  for  the  light.  It  is 
more  than  praise  of  an  institution  in  the  South- 
land, committed  to  the  task  of  uplift.  It  is  an 
inspirational  record,  rather,  of  the  transforming 
power  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.    Let  him 

V 


vi 


FOREWORD 


who  doubts  what  God  can  do  see  Jacob  Kenoly 
as  he  was,  and  as  he  came  to  be.  In  such  nar- 
ratives is  the  birthplace  of  clearer  \'isions, 
greater  hopes,  loftier  life.  The  blessings  of 
God  upon  this  little  book! 

CHARLES  S.  MEDBURY. 

Des  Moines,  Iowa. 


INTRODUCTION 

This  sketch  of  the  life  and  work  of  Jacob  Kenoly 
goes  from  the  hand  of  the  writer  with  many  mis- 
givings on  his  part  as  to  his  share  in  it.  It  has 
been  prepared  necessarily  within  a  short  space 
of  time  and  along  with  much  other  writing  and 
work.  "Were  it  not  that  the  letters  and  records 
of  Jacob  Kenoly  and  the  writings  of  others  in 
regard  to  him  so  largely  tell  the  story,  we  would 
have  more  anxiety  lest  we  might  have  failed  to 
give  to  others  what  we  have  gained  from  a  study 
of  his  letters  and  records, — a  vision  of  a  mar- 
velously  noble  and  Christlike  character. 

The  letters  of  Jacob  Kenoly  from  Liberia  were 
written  always  under  the  greatest  difficulties,  al- 
ways amid  great  pressure  of  work,  sometimes 
while  taking  the  long,  difficult,  and  hazardous 
trip  to  Monrovia,  and  yet  in  reading  them  for 
the  preparation  of  this  sketch  the  tears  would 
often  spring  to  the  eyes  because  of  the  uncon- 
scious pathos  of  some  of  them,  and  very  often 
were  we  impelled  to  marvel  over  the  exceeding 
vii 


INTRODUCTION 


beauty  of  passages  they  contained.  Written 
amid  the  stress  and  sufferings  of  his  life  in  Li- 
beria, they  did  not  always,  perhaps,  take  the 
form  they  would  have  had  if  they  had  been 
penned  under  more  favorable  circumstances. 
However,  they  have  an  originality  of  expression 
and  a  quaint  phrasing  all  their  own.  They  have 
been  placed  in  the  following  pages  very  largely 
as  Jacob  wrote  them. 

The  study  the  writer  has  made  of  the  letters 
and  records  of  Jacob  Kenoly  placed  in  his  hands 
to  aid  him  in  the  preparation  of  this  sketch,  has 
blessed  his  life.  He  gives  the  stoiy  to  others 
hoping  it  will  bless  them  as  it  has  blessed  him. 

We  wish  to  acknowledge  special  indebtedness 
to  Mrs.  Elizabeth  W.  Ross  and  to  J.  B.  Lehman 
and  to  the  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  ^Missions 
for  letters  and  records  placed  in  our  hands,  and 
to  Mrs.  Ross  and  Mr.  Lehman  and  D.  A.  Brindle 
for  what  they  have  written  for  this  sketch.  The 
sketch  is  also  indebted  for  very  much  to  Dr. 
Royal  J.  Dye. 

C.  C.  SMITH. 

Cincinnati,  Ohio,  January  1,  1912. 


CONTENTS 

PAQB 


Foreword,  v 

Introduction,     -  -  vii 
Chapter  I. 

Early  Life,     -  -  1 


Chapter  II. 

School  Days  at  the  Southern  Christian  Institute,  12 


Chapter  III. 

Interim  Between  LEA\^NG  the  Southern  Christian 

Institute  and  Landing  at  Monrovia,  Liberia,  31 

Chapter  IV. 

Period  Between  Landing  at  Monrovia  and  Locat- 
ing AT  Schieffelin,  ------  44 

Chapter  V. 

The  First  Year  in  Schieffelin,      -      -      -      -  61 
Chapter  VI. 

The  First  Building  Erected  and  Incidents  Con- 
nected with  the  Growth  of  the  Work,         -  77 

Chapter  VII. 
The  Erection  of  the  School  Building  and  the 

Work  of  the  Two  Years  Following,       -      -  94 

Chapter  VIII. 
Jabob  Kenoly's  Vision  for  Liberla.,    -      -      .  114 

Chapter  IX. 

Closing  Days  and  Death,  -      -      -      -  126 

Chapter  X. 

Characteristics,  145 
ix 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Facing  page 

Jacob  Kenolt,         ...      -      -  Frontispiece. 

AxusoN  TTat.t^  Southebn  Cheistian  Institute,      -  20 

Jacob  Kenolt  axd  One  of  His  Libert  an  Pupils,  40 

The  Skin  of  the  Snake  Which  Jacob  Kenolt 

Killed,  .-.-..--84 

The  Dwelling  House  Erected  bt  Jacob  Kenolt 

AT  THE  Mission  Station,     -----  90 

The  School  Building  Erected  bt  Jacob  Kenolt  at 
THE  Mission  Station,      -      -      -      -      -  100 

Some  of  the  Members  of  the  Chuhch  ant)  Some 
of  the  Pupils  of  the  School  on  the  Veranda 
of  the  School  Building,    -      -      -      -  no 

James  Rundles,      -------  120 

Jacob  Kenolt  and  His  Wife,   -      -      -      -  130 

View  of  the  Lagoon  at  the  Mouth  of  Which 
Jacob  Kenolt  Lost  His  Life,        -      -      -  142 


X 


The  Life  and  Work  of 
Jacob  Kenoly. 


CHAPTER  I 

EARLY  LIFE 

The  most  that  is  known  of  the  early  life  of 
Jacob  Kenoly  is  found  in  a  sketch  furnished  by 
himself  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth  W.  Ross,  of  Eureka, 
Illinois,  who  had  written  him  for  such  a  sketch. 
As  we  read  this  some  things  are  to  be  remem- 
bered. It  is  the  simple  story  of  the  struggles 
of  a  poor  Negro  who  had  neither  generations  of 
culture  back  of  him,  nor  any  advantages  not 
given  to  the  average  freedman  of  the  South. 
This  sketch  is  given  largely  as  he  penned  it. 
There  is  no  art  bestowed  upon  it  but  the  art  of 
simplicity.  He  would  never  have  written  thus 
of  himself  had  it  not  been  asked  of  him.  He 
was  urged  to  speak  fully  and  frankly  of  his 
struggles  and  trials  as. he  sought  an  education. 
To  enter  into  sympathy  with  this  account,  one 
1 


2 


LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


must  remember  the  natural  inheritance  of  those 
who  were  the  direct  descendants  of  those  who 
had  been  slaves,  and  thus  were  reared  in  the 
reconstruction  period.  It  was  not  easy  for  him 
to  learn.  He  not  only  had  to  work  hard  for  a 
chance  for  education,  but  had  to  work  harder 
than  the  ordinary  person  when  he  obtained  the 
chance.  By  this  sketch  we  also  learn  that  his 
parents  were  godly.  He  was  nurtured  in  an  at- 
mosphere of  prayer.  We  now  give  this  sketch 
of  his  early  life  and  struggles  as  written  by 
himself : 

"I  was  born  in  Laclede  County,  Missouri, 
about  six  miles  north  of  Lebanon,  in  the  year 
1876.  My  parents  had  formerly  been  slaves  in 
the  State  of  Alabama.  Upon  the  cotton  planta- 
tions in  this  State  they  served  their  masters  and 
prayed  earnestly  that  God  would  set  them  free 
and  give  their  children  an  opportunity  of  living 
a  better  life. 

"Their  prayers  were  answered.  Wlien  they 
had  spent  a  good  portion  of  their  lives  in  faith- 
ful service  their  emancipation  came.  My  father 
had  learned  to  read  the  Bible,  but  my  mother 
was  illiterate  and  had  not  learned  well  the  prin- 
ciples of  a  civilized  life  and  was  not  prepared 
to  manage  well  life's  problem. 

"I  was  the  oldest  son  among  thirteen  children, 
though  I  had  one  sister  who  was  my  senior. 
When  I  was  eight  years  old  my  parents  moved 


EAELT  LIFE 


3 


near  Lebanon,  where  we  attended  the  public 
school;  this  being  the  only  colored  school  in  the 
county.  My  sister  and  I  attended  this  school  a 
part  of  two  terms.  Then  my  parents  secured 
a  homestead  of  about  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  which  was  located  twelve  miles 
west  of  Lebanon.  This  brought  our  school  days 
to  an  end. 

' '  We  were  very  anxious  to  attend  school,  so  as 
to  be  able  to  read  and  write.  We  spent  many 
hours  at  night  studying,  with  no  one  to  teach 
us.  My  parents  would  sometimes  say  (to  our 
white  neighbors),  'I  guess  our  children  will  have 
to  grow  up  ignorant,  since  we  can  not  have 
school.'  Some  of  them  expressed  their  sym- 
pathy, and  promised  that  when  they  would  visit 
our  home  they  would  be  glad  to  teach  us,  or  help 
us  as  much  as  they  could  with  our  lessons,  which 
they  did.  We  were  so  anxious  that  sometimes 
we  would  take  our  books  to  their  homes.  It 
was  not  long  until  we  had  reached  the  place 
where  they  could  no  longer  help  us  with  our 
lessons,  but  we  continued  to  study. 

'  *  The  teacher  of  the  white  school  came  to  our 
home  one  day  and  said,  'In  some  States  the 
white  and  colored  children  are  permitted  to  at- 
tend the  same  school,'  and  that  he  meant  to  use 
his  influence  in  our  behalf  at  the  next  meeting, 
which  he  did  with  such  effect  that  some  of  the 
white  people  agreed  to  let  us  attend  the  white 


4  LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


school.  I  remember  how  glad  we  were  to  have 
another  opportunity  to  attend  school,  but  we 
only  attended  the  first  day,  for  some  had  com- 
plained and  said  this  could  not  be  tolerated  in 
that  State ;  so  we  went  home  with  permission  to 
stay.  I\Iy  mother,  who  was  illiterate,  felt  that 
God  did  not  mean  His  blessings  for  black  people, 
and  after  she  expressed  herself  in  this  light  we 
all  felt  this  had  proven  too  true. 

"I  remember  how  dejected  and  sad  we  were 
for  a  time.  "We  remained  in  this  secluded  place 
until  I  had  reached  the  age  of  fifteen,  when  my 
eldest  sister  and  myself  succeeded  in  getting  a 
place  to  work  Saturdays  and  evenings  and  morn- 
ings for  our  board;  so  by  this  arrangement  we 
were  permitted  to  attend  school  in  Lebanon. 

"I  remember  what  a  severe  winter  we  had 
that  year,  and  being  unable  to  properly  protect 
ourselves  from  the  severity  of  the  weather,  we 
consequently  became  ill,  from  which  my  sister 
never  recovered.  I  felt  very  keenly  her  loss, 
but  attended  school  there  another  term. 

"It  was  during  this  term  when  the  colored 
people  were  having  protracted  meeting  that  I 
was  persuaded  against  my  will  to  the  mourners' 
bench.  It  was  some  months  afterward  when  I 
learned  from  the  "Word  of  God  what  He  would 
have  me  to  do.  A  great  many  were  converted,  or 
'got  religion,'  as  they  called  it.  Some  saw  some 
very  strange  things  during  their  conversion,  but 


EAELY  LIFE 


5 


I  could  not  see  what  they  saw.   I  did  not  join 

the  Church  when  I  learned  to  obey  the  Lord, 
because  there  was  a  great  contention  between 
the  Methodists  and  Baptists  as  to  the  mode  of 
baptism. 

"I  continued  in  school  until  the  close  of  the 
term,  when  I  went  to  St.  Louis  and  secured  a 
position  as  carriage  driver  at  1637  North  King's 
Highway  at  twenty  dollars  per  month.  This 
position  I  held  all  summer.  (I  was  there  until 
school  opened.)  I  had  saved  my  money,  and 
this  time  I  attended  summer  high  school  in  St. 
Louis  under  Professor  Ware's  administration. 
]\Iiss  Armstrong,  my  teacher,  was  an  expert  in 
making  everj^  lesson  so  clear  that  the  dullest 
pupil  could  gain  a  clear  conception  of  the  les- 
sons taught.  I  boarded  at  King's  Highway  and 
went  to  school  on  the  Eastern  Avenue  cars.  I 
made  good  grades  at  the  examination  and  was 
promoted  to  another  class ;  so  I  had  to  buy  new 
books,  which  took  most  of  the  money  that  I  in- 
tended for  car-fare. 

* '  I  felt  very  thankful  to  my  Heavenly  Father 
for  this  opportunity  and  for  the  progress  I  felt 
I  was  making;  but  my  car-fare  was  just  about 
spent,  and  it  was  a  long  distance  from  my 
boarding  place  to  the  school  building.  The  time 
had  come  to  make  different  arrangements,  for 
I  could  not  think  of  quitting  school. 

"I  sought  a  place  to  board  nearer  school,  but 


6  LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


failed ;  so  I  set  out  to  walk.  By  starting  at  three 
o'clock  I  could  reach  the  school  building  in  time 
for  class.  I  remember  how  sore  I  was  the  first 
week  from  my  long  walk.  Every  policeman  be- 
tween King's  Highway  and  North  Street  was 
acquainted  with  me,  for  they  had  occasion  to 
ask  M'hat  my  business  was  so  early  on  the  streets. 
As  I  walked  down  the  paved  streets  with  the 
electric  lights  which  illuminated  the  surroiind- 
ings,  I  would  sometimes  ask  myself,  'WiU  my 
education  ever  benefit  me  if  I  should  be  success- 
ful enough  to  get  it?'  I  would  sometimes  say, 
*I  hope  it  will  benefit  some  unfortunate  boy  or 
girl.'  It  was  during  this  term  I  learned  to 
sympathize  with  any  one  who  was  unfortiinate, 
and  I  would  say,  'Had  I  a  street  car  I  would 
make  it  my  business  to  carry  the  boys  and  girls 
to  school  every  day.' 

"I  would  sometimes  think  I  had  the  hardest 
time  of  any  boy  on  earth.  Even  Providence 
seemed  against  me;  but  this  was  the  only  time 
which  daunted  me. 

' '  One  day  the  man  with  whom  I  was  boarding 
told  me  that  he  meant  to  pay  my  car-fare  until 
school  was  out,  then  I  could  pay  him  back.  This 
he  did.  God  only  knows  how  much  I  appreciated 
this.  I  felt  that  now  God  was  with  me.  I  spent 
the  rest  of  the  term  in  faithful  study.  Since 
my  opportunities  had  been  so  poor  I  meant  to 
use  this  one  well.   I  thus  continued  until  school 


EARLY  LIFE 


7 


closed,  and  soon  paid  the  good  man  and  was 
ready  to  return  to  Lebanon. 

"When  I  reached  Lebanon  I  found  that  an- 
other one  of  my  sisters  had  been  buried — one 
week  before  I  reached  home. 

"I  this  time  stayed  at  home  on  the  farm 
nearly  two  years.  One  year  I  was  employed  by 
another  farmer  to  make  rails  and  shingles,  and 
part  of  the  next  year  I  worked  in  a  woodyard. 

' '  I  one  day  went  to  Lebanon  and  bought  a  pa- 
per. In  this  paper  I  saw  an  account  of  Professor 
W.  H.  Councill's  school  at  Normal,  Alabama, 
where  one  might  work  for  his  education.  I 
thought  this  was  my  chance.  I  decided  to  go. 
I  went  to  Springfield  and  worked  for  the  street 
commissioner  for  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  per 
day,  and  saved  enough  of  it  to  pay  my  fare  to 
Huntsville,  Alabama. 

"I  this  time  decided  I  must  not  write  home 
until  I  had  ceased  to  attend  school,  for  I  would 
probably  worry  myself  over  something  which 
I  could  not  help. 

"I  met  Professor  Councill  in  his  office  at  Nor- 
mal, Alabama,  which  is  about  four  miles  from 
Huntsville.  I  applied  for  work  so  as  to  enter 
school.  He  said :  'I  do  n't  know  you,  but  I  think 
I  see  something  in  you.  I  will  give  you  a  trial 
of  one  week.'  I  remained  there  three  years  at 
work  and  in  school.  I  worked  one  month  on 
the  plantation  which  belongs  to  the  school.  He 
2 


8  LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


then  gave  me  charge  of  his  farm,  with  four  boys 
to  assist  me.  While  there  I  took  a  course  in 
scientific  agriculture.  That  year  I  made  the 
farm  clear  four  hundred  dollars.  I  remember 
how  Professor  Councill  would  often  refer  to 
what  I  could  do  with  a  poor  farm. 

"The  next  year  I  had  charge  of  the  garden 
which  belonged  to  the  Agricultural  College,  and 
this  was  made  a  great  success.  There  were  ten 
acres  in  this  garden,  and  the  pupils  did  not  con- 
sume all  the  vegetables  raised  there. 

"I  stayed  in  this  college  three  years.  At  the 
expiration  of  this  time  I  went  to  Georgia  and 
secured  a  position  as  porter  in  a  hotel.  In  this 
hotel  I  met  Brother  Brindle,  a  (white)  Christian 
pi'eacher,  who  took  a  great  interest  in  me.  I 
would  sometimes  go  to  his  room,  and  we  would 
sit  and  talk  for  hours. 

"I  one  day  told  him  (after  hearing  Bishop 
Turner  preach  a  missionary  sermon  in  which  he 
told  many  things  about  Africa)  that  I  wanted 
to  attend  school  and  prepare  myself  to  help 
those  suffering  ones  in  Africa. 

"It  was  while  in  Georgia  that  I  was  baptized 
by  a  Baptist  minister,  though  I  did  not  unite 
with  a  Church.  Brother  Brindle  told  me  of  the 
Southern  Christian  Institute  and  the  opportu- 
nity it  afforded  for  colored  people.  These  were 
not  idle  woi-ds,  for  they  have  meant  souiething 
to  this  people  in  Africa. 


EARLY  LIFE 


9 


"Brother  Brindle  wrote  the  first  letter  to  Pro- 
fessor Lehman  for  me.  We  soon  had  a  reply 
which  made  me  giad.  This  letter  requested  me 
to  come  at  once  while  there  was  an  opening  for 
one  more  work  student.  I  remember  how  thank- 
ful I  was  to  the  Lord  for  another  opportunity. 
I  soon  arranged  to  leave  the  hotel.  Many  came 
down  from  their  rooms  and  expressed  their  sor- 
row to  have  me  leave.  They  all  advised  me  to 
be  faithful  and  obedient  as  I  had  been  there, 
and  God  would  make  friends  for  me  and  would 
open  opportunities  for  me.  I  have  found  all 
this  to  be  true. 

"Somewhere  in  Alabama  there  was  a  bad 
wreck.  "We  had  to  stay  there  in  the  woods  very 
nearly  all  day.  I  remember  that  the  fireman 
was  badly  crushed  (though  not  dead).  I  helped 
to  carry  him  into  the  sleeping-car  and  stayed 
with  him  until  we  reached  Birmingham,  where 
he  was  taken  to  the  hospital. 

"We  reached  Edwards,  Mississippi,  at  six 
o  'clock  A.  M.  I  went  to  a  business  establishment 
of  a  Mr.  Moss,  who  directed  me  to  the  Southern 
Christian  Institute.  It  was  ten  o'clock  when  I 
reached  the  station.  President  Lehman  was 
busy  with  the  Bible  class.  Professor  Compton 
had  one  of  the  normal  classes.  Miss  Britton  had 
the  preparatory  class.  Going  over  to  the  next 
building  (which  was  the  teacher's  home)  I  met 
Mrs.  and  Mr.  Ross.   I  met  several  students  who 


10         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


made  me  feel  welcome.  ^Many  things  happened 
while  here.  I  worked  in  the  printing  office  part 
of  the  time  and  on  the  farm  awhile. 

"My  health  was  very  poor  the  first  year,  but 
the  teachers  were  all  very  kind  to  me.  ]Mrs. 
Ross  was  a  mother  to  me.  She  was  the  proper 
one  to  meet  in  the  hour  of  discouragement.  She 
has  many  times  scattered  sunshine  along  my 
way  when  it  was  darkened  by  adversities.  I  be- 
lieve she  had  a  gift  from  heaven  which  tended 
to  make  burdens  light.  I  always  thank  the  Lord 
for  her  life  and  for  all  who  are  connected  with 
the  Southern  Christian  Institute.  I  soon  felt 
that  the  best  friends  that  I  had  ever  met  in  all 
my  life  were  those  whom  I  found  at  this  school. 

"It  was  here  at  this  institute  that  I  learned 
so  many  valuable  lessons  which  have  been  so 
helpful  here  in  Africa.  I  became  a  Christian 
and  felt  that  I  was  the  proper  person  to  make 
a  sacrifice  for  the  unfortunate  ones.  It  was 
here,  through  ]\Irs.  Ross,  I  became  acquainted 
with  Miss  Denham,  who  has  shown  and  is  still 
showing  great  interest  in  this  work.  I  am  very 
thankful  that  my  life  has  been  touched  with 
such  consecrated  men  and  women." 

It  is  also  to  be  taken  into  account  that  this 
modest  sketch  of  Jacob  Kenoly's  early  life  was 
written  in  the  midst  of  labors  abundant  in 
Africa.  It  was  written  during  equatorial  heat 
and  when  he  had  not  proper  food  to  strengthen 


EARLY  LIFE 


11 


liis  body.  It  not  only  reveals  the  providence 
which  guided  liiin,  but  it  also  reveals  much  con- 
cerning his  character.  He  was  obliged  to  obtain 
his  education  and  his  Christianity  in  the  hardest 
way,  and  yet  he  became  a  self-appointed  mis- 
sionary to  Africa.  It  was  while  he  was  getting 
up  at  three  o'clock  A.  and  walking  miles  to 
attend  school  that  his  first  call  to  service  came. 
As  he  walked  he  asked  the  question:  "Will  it 
benefit  me?  If  not,  I  hope  it  will  benefit  some 
other  boy  or  girl."  The  struggle  he  made  to 
get  the  light  made  him  a  good  liglitbearer  to 
others.  The  long  lonely  road  in  St.  Louis  trod- 
den in  the  early  morning  hours  leads  direct  to 
Africa  and  to  all  the  unfortunates  who  had  not 
a  chance  to  receive  the  light.  His  long  search 
after  religious  truth  and  salvation  for  self 
caused  him,  when  the  light  came,  to  so  prize 
it  that  his  desire  to  impart  it  to  others  became 
the  ruling  passion  of  his  life.  When  light 
streamed  upon  his  pathway  he  not  only  walked 
in  that  light,  but  was  anxious  that  all  darkened 
pathways  should  be  lit  with  truth. 


CHAPTER  II 


SCHOOL  DATS  AT  THE  SOUTHERN 
CHRISTIAN  INSTITUTE 

We  never  know  what  may  come  from  our  slight- 
est word  or  act.  Two  men  and  what  they  said 
were  the  two  direct  influences  which  led  Jacob 
Kenoly  to  go  to  the  Southern  Christian  Insti- 
tute. In  the  fall  of  1899,  while  on  his  way  to 
the  Jubilee  Convention,  J.  B.  Lehman  met  D. 
A.  Brindle,  then  pastor  of  a  church  in  Georgia, 
and  in  parting  Mr.  Lehman  said,  "Send  us  a 
Georgia  boy  to  be  educated,  that  he  may  return 
to  his  State  for  future  work. ' '  Later  Mr.  Brin- 
dle met  Jacob  Kenoly  and  took  an  interest  in 
and  helped  him,  and  remembering,  no  doubt, 
'Mr.  Lehman's  request,  pointed  him  to  the 
Southern  Christian  Institute.  In  the  following 
words  Mr.  Brindle  tells  of  this: 

"Twelve  years  ago  Jacob  Kenoly  was  a  porter 
in  the  hotel  at  Conyers,  Georgia.  The  same  year 
I  was  pastor  of  the  Christian  Church  in  that 
town,  and  boarded  at  the  hotel  where  Jacob 
served.  Soon  my  attention  was  attracted  by  his 
politeness  and  faithful  service.  He  was  con- 
12 


SCHOOL  DAYS 


13 


sidered  honest  and  truthful,  and  we  all  trusted 
him  as  we  would  but  few  of  his  race.  I  soon 
became  sufficiently  interested  in  him  to  ask  him 
to  come  to  my  room,  where  I  coild  talk  with 
him  on  tlie  subject  of  religion.  He  told  me  that 
he  had  made  a  profession  of  religion,  but  did 
not  know  what  Church  to  join.  I  told  Jacob  of 
the  Christian  Church  and  the  simple  New  Testa- 
ment plea.  That  seemed  to  meet  his  wishes  ex- 
actly. He  asked  if  there  were  any  colored 
churches  of  the  New  Testament  order.  I  told 
him  of  the  many  colored  disciples  in  North  Caro- 
lina (my  native  State),  and  in  Virginia,  where 
I  spent  three  years  in  pastoral  and  evangelistic 
work.  He  expressed  a  desire  to  go  to  school 
where  he  could  learn  the  New  Testament,  that 
he  might  teach  it  to  the  people  of  his  own  race. 
I  told  him  of  the  Southern  Christian  Institute 
at  Edwards,  Mississippi.  At  once  he  expressed 
a  desire  to  enter  that  school,  I  sent  in  his  ap- 
plication for  admission,  and  it  was  received  fa- 
vorably. 

"Before  writing  a  letter  of  recommendation 
for  him,  he  promised  me  that  when  he  entered 
the  school  he  would  obey  the  gospel  and  become 
a  member  of  the  Church  and  begin  at  once  to 
study  the  Bible,  that  he  might  preach  it  to  the 
people  of  his  race.  He  entered  the  school  and 
faithfully  kept  these  promises.  This  is  the  first 
chapter  in  the  religious  history  of  Jacob  Kenoly. 


14         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLT 


After  a  brief  but  remarkable  career  the  ^Master 
has  called  him  from  his  service  as  a  missionary 
in  Liberia,  Africa,  to  his  eternal  reward. 

"D.  A.  Brindle,  Griffin,  Ga." 

"We  know  not  which  will  thrive,  the  seed  sown 
as  we  preach  to  the  many,  or  as  we  plant  the 
truth  in  a  single  soul.  God  be  praised  that 
D.  A.  Brindle  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  spir- 
itual welfare  of  a  modest  black  porter  in  a 
Southern  hotel. 

At  the  close  of  his  sketch  of  his  early  life, 
Jacob  acknowledges  his  indebtedness  to  the 
Southern  Christian  Institute,  where  he  received 
the  training  which  fitted  him  to  do  the  work  he 
had  resolved  to  do.  This  is  more  fully  revealed 
in  his  letters  to  President  Lehman  and  Mrs. 
Ross,  from  which  quotations  will  be  made  in  fol- 
lowing chapters.  This  points  to  the  value  of 
the  threefold  training  given  at  the  school  at  Ed- 
wards, ]Mississippi.  Jacob  Kenoly  was  given  a 
good  education  (in  the  common  acceptation  of 
that  term) ;  then  he  was  also  trained  to  skill  in 
the  different  departments  of  manual  labor,  and 
then  there  was  the  spiritual  atmosphere  in 
which  he  obtained  the  definite  religious  train- 
ing which,  no  doubt,  was  the  means  of  stimu- 
lating and  fixing  Jacob  Kenoly 's  lialf-fonued 
purpose  of  going  to  Africa.  President  Lehman 
has  ever  selected  as  his  teachers  and  co-workers 


SCHOOL  DAYS 


15 


at  the  Southern  Christian  Institute  those  not 
only  competent  as  instructors  in  the  various 
branches  taught,  but  those  having  also  high 
ideals  of  Christian  service  and  a  lofty  concep- 
tion of  the  spirit  of  the  ]\Iaster  and  of  personal 
obligation  to  Him.  Jacob  Kenoly  was  pecul- 
iarly susceptible  to  this  influence.  In  his  letters 
he  often  acknowledges  his  obligation  to  it,  and 
was  always  anxious  when  he  went  out  from  it 
to  have  others  of  his  race  blessed  by  its  power 
as  he  had  been.  When  he  was  teaching  in  Africa 
he  was  anxious  from  the  very  first  that  certain 
ones  of  special  promise  should  return  and  be 
trained  at  the  school  which  had  been  so  much  to 
him,  and  he  was  willing  to  make  any  sacrifice 
that  they  might  receive  this  blessing.  All  this 
illustrates  the  wisdom  of  providing  the  kind  of 
training  given  at  the  Southern  Christian  In- 
stitute and  of  sending  as  instructors  those  of 
spirituality  of  life  having  generations  of  Chris- 
tian culture  back  of  them  to  the  Negroes  of  our 
land  who  have  come,  as  a  race,  but  a  little  way 
on  the  road  of  civilization.  Lives  such  as  the 
one  of  whom  record  is  given  in  this  book  do  not 
come  by  chance,  but  are  the  product  of  training 
guided  by  the  spirit  of  the  IMaster.  Blessed  is 
the  one  who  when  a  vision  of  higher  service  for 
Christ  comes  to  him  is  so  equipped  as  to  be  able 
to  make  that  vision  a  reality  in  his  life's  work. 
Jacob  Kenoly  was  for  four  years  a  student 


16         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


at  the  Southern  Christian  Institute,  and  so  un- 
der the  direct  influence  of  President  J.  B.  Leh- 
man and  his  co-workers.  Then  from  the  time 
Jacob  left  the  institute  to  the  day  of  his  death 
'Mr.  Lehman  kept  in  touch  with  him,  and  all 
through  his  life  in  Africa  wrote  him  often  words 
of  advice  and  cheer,  and  often  sent  him  material 
aid.  How  much  all  this  helped  Jacob  and  was 
prized  by  him  is  fully  shown  by  hLs  letters  g^ven 
in  the  following  chapters. 

This  sketch  of  the  life  of  Jacob  Kenolj'  would 
not  be  complete  without  the  following  from  Mr. 
Lehman  giving  an  account  of  Jacob's  school 
days  under  him. 

yir.  Lehman  writes:  "In  going  from  Chatta- 
nooga to  Cincinnati  en  route  to  the  Jubilee  Con- 
vention in  October,  1809,  I  fell  in  with  David 
Brindle  of  Georgia.  After  a  somewhat  extended 
conversation  a}x)ut  the  work,  he  said  upon  part- 
ing, 'What  can  I  do  for  you?'  I  said,  'Send 
uij  a  Georgia  boy  to  be  educated,  that  he  may 
return  to  his  State  for  future  work.'  He  prom- 
ised he  would,  and  late  in  October  I  received 
a  letter  from  him  saying  that  he  was  sending 
a  young  man  over  who  Avould  enter  as  a  work 
student.  He  told  me  something  of  the  religious 
attitude  of  the  young  man  and  said  that  he 
thought  the  Southern  Christian  Institute  was 
the  place  for  him.  About  the  first  of  December 
the  young  man  came,  with  just  fifty  cents  in 


SCHOOL  DAYS 


17 


his  pocket.  He  gave  his  name  as  Jacob  Kenoly, 
and  we  put  him  to  work  in  the  printing  office. 
He  said  he  had  recently  been  at  Normal,  Ala- 
bama, and  that  he  had  gone  there  from  Ohio, 
where  he  had  either  been  servant  at  the  ]Mc- 
Kinley  home  or  had  served  as  servant  to  dele- 
gations that  visited  Canton  that  summer.  At 
any  rate  the  students  here  began  to  call  him  Mc- 
Kinley.  He  said  he  originally  came  from  St. 
Louis. 

"From  the  first  day  he  came  he  was  a  very 
hard-working  man,  but  rather  expensive,  for  he 
was  strong  and  was  very  hard  on  his  clothes. 
He  soon  impressed  us  as  an  exceptional  young 
man.  After  being  here  a  month  or  more  he 
came  to  me  with  his  I'eligious  difficulties.  He 
said  he  had  once  united  with  the  Church,  but 
had  become  confused  by  the  many  denomina- 
tions and  was  not  then  alfiliated  with  any.  He 
said  my  sermons  satisfied  him;  that  he  had 
found  just  what  he  was  looking  for,  but  did  not 
know  before  that  any  people  was  preaching  it. 
He  expressed  a  desire  to  become  a  member  of 
the  Church,  and  did  so  the  next  Sunday  morn- 
ing. 

"His  grades  were  never  high,  for  he  had  to 
work  too  much  for  the  good  of  his  class-room 
work,  but  his  deportment  was  literally  perfect. 
After  he  had  been  in  school  about  a  year  and 
the  struggle  to  support  himself  by  work  became 


18 


LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


fierce,  Mrs.  Ross,  then  matron  of  the  institution, 
succeeded  in  inducing  ]\Iiss  Florence  Denham, 
then  of  Bloomington,  Illinois,  to  undertake  to 
raise  hira  some  support  from  her  Endeavor  So- 
ciety. Help  for  him  to  the  amount  of  probably 
twenty  dollars  came  from  this  source.  When  he 
selected  his  site  for  the  Liberian  Christian  In- 
stitute he  named  the  station  Denham  Station,  to 
keep  fresh  this  gratitude.  In  memory  of  the 
kindness  of  ]\Irs.  Ross  in  this  and  other  instances 
he  named  his  school  building  the  Ross  Building. 

"The  years  from  1899  to  1902,  the  period  in 
■which  Jacob  Kenoly  attended  the  Southern 
Christian  Institute,  were  the  last  part  of  a  pe- 
riod which  might  be  termed  the  sad  and  most 
difficult  period  of  the  school.  Beginning  about 
1896,  we  suffered  fearfully  from  malarial  and 
yellow  feA'^er  epidemics,  and  our  finances  were 
entirely  inadequate  to  meet  such  conditions. 
Often  one-half  the  students  were  busy  nursing 
the  other  half.  In  the  years  1897  and  1898  we 
went  through  two  of  the  most  severe  yellow  fever 
epidemics  experienced  in  this  section,  and  in  the 
year  1898  we  lost  one  of  our  most  deA^oted  work- 
ers, Miss  Blanche  M.  Beck,  of  Hiram,  Ohio,  and 
in  the  year  1899  Will  T.  Allison  gave  the  last 
full  measure  of  devotion.  In  the  year  1900  two 
of  our  workers  had  to  go  away,  while  many  of 
the  student  body  were  in  the  hospital.  Jacob 
Kenoly  contracted  chronic  malaria  and  was  at 


SCHOOL  DAYS 


19 


the  point  of  giving  up  his  hope  of  fitting  him- 
self for  larger  usefulness.  I  prevailed  upon 
him  to  hold  on  a  little  longer.  Soon  thereafter 
the  doctors  published  their  new  theory  that  a 
certain  variety  of  mosquito  was  responsible  for 
malaria,  and  we  began  to  act  upon  it  at  once, 
somewhat  to  the  derision  of  our  local  physicians. 
Jacob  slept  under  a  mosquito  bar  and  got  per- 
fectly well,  and  remained  so  for  a  year.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  our  dormitory  was  full,  and 
he  asked  permission  to  sleep  in  a  cabin.  In  just 
eight  days  his  malaria  was  back  again,  and  he 
was  brought  back  and  put  under  a  mosquito  bar 
again,  and  he  got  well.  This  established  the 
theoiy  for  us,  and  we  began  in  earnest  to  rid 
ourselves  of  malaria.  A  curfew  bell  was  rung 
at  sundown,  and  every  boy  and  girl  was  re- 
quired to  get  behind  the  mosquito  bar.  At  first 
they  thought  it  a  hardship,  but  they  soon  saw 
that  it  was  for  their  good ;  and  so  when  the  bell 
would  ring  it  was  common  to  hear  some  boy  yell, 
'Hurry  up,  boys,  the  mosquitoes  are  coming.' 
By  this  method  and  the  destruction  of  the  breed- 
ing places  the  institution  was  soon  freed  from 
malaria,  and  in  ten  years  succeeding  probably 
not  a  dozen  hours  of  study  or  work  have  been 
lost  from  this  cause. 

"To  show  how  Jacob  impressed  us  while  he 
attended  school  I  wish  to  relate  an  incident: 
One  day  I  read  in  a  paper  of  a  Negro  and  a 


20         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLT 


Avhite  man  in  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  who  were  in  a 
boiler,  cleaning  it,  wlien  a  criminally  thought- 
less engineer  turned  the  steam  on.  Both  men 
rushed  for  the  ladder.  The  Negro  got  there 
first  and  started  up  the  ladder,  when  he  sud- 
denly stepped  aside  and  said:  'You  have  a  wife 
and  children;  I  am  single.  You  go  first.'  By 
the  time  the  white  man  got  out  of  the  way  the 
Negro  was  so  scalded  that  he  could  not  get  out. 
Some  one  said  he  doubted  whether  this  were 
possible.    I  said,  'Jacob  Kenoly  could  do  it.' 

"On  one  occasion  a  number  of  our  students 
became  insubordinate  and  inaugurated  quite  an 
insurrection,  and  it  required  some  heroic  efforts 
to  put  them  to  their  proper  place,  and  it  is  al- 
ways very  depressing  to  have  to  do  such  things. 
Jacob,  who  had  always  been  a  boy  looking  for 
advice  and  counsel,  came  around  so  much  like 
a  father  and  said  his  people  so  little  knew  their 
best  interest  and  needed  to  be  compelled  to  do 
right.  He  seemed  to  be  more  of  a  man  from 
that  moment. 

"On  another  occasion  I  tried  to  persuade  the 
boys  that  it  would  be  better  for  them  to  buy 
coarse  shoes,  which  the  boys  designated  by  the 
cognomen  of  'bulls,'  for  rough  work  out  on  the 
campus.  All  but  Jacob  refused  to  be  convinced. 
He  not  only  did  not  hesitate  to  wear  the  'bulls' 
in  his  work  on  the  campus,  but  kept  them  clean 
and  came  into  the  classroom  with  them  on.  It 


SCHOOL  DAYS 


21 


liad  a  wholesome  influence  on  the  others,  and 
since  that  time  we  have  had  no  great  trouble  in 
having  them  Avear  these  in  rough  work. 

' '  One  fall  we  built  a  porch  at  the  back  of  the 
mansion.  We  had  plenty  of  time,  but  no  money. 
Jacob  was  assigned  to  the  work.  We  hewed  out 
the  sills,  upper  and  lower  joists,  and  rafters, 
and  I  taught  him  how  to  level  up  carefully.  He 
asked  me  why  we  did  not  get  sawed  timber, 
I  replied  that  we  had  no  money,  and,  besides 
this,  he  might  some  time  go  to  Louisiana  into 
the  swamps  to  work,  and  then  this  experience 
would  be  valuable.  How  little  we  knew  we  were 
fitting  him  for  just  the  work  he  chose  in  Liberia ! 

"When  the  day  of  graduation  came  in  May, 
1902,  he  was  the  only  member  of  his  class.  He 
was  on  the  program  for  an  oration  and  a  solo. 
The  song  was,  '  Then  cling  to  the  Bible,  my  boy, ' 
and  he  sang  it  with  such  unction  that  the  large 
audience  fairly  went  wild.  They  called  him 
back  the  second  and  third  time,  and  each  time 
he  sang  it  with  more  force,  'Whether  roaming 
on  land  or  sea,  cling  to  the  Bible,  my  boy,'  It 
fairly  became  an  inspiration  of  his  life,  and  I 
am  sure  it  was  one  of  the  songs  with  which  he 
afterwards  said  he  made  the  jungle  ring. 

"On  the  night  of  the  reception  Mr.  Babcock 
and  I  presented  him  with  a  square,  a  saw,  and 
a  hammer,  for  we  knew  he  would  have  to  do 
manual  labor  as  soon  as  he  left  school  in  order 


22         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLT 


to  replenish  liis  depleted  wardrobe.  In  pre- 
senting them  to  him  I  tried  to  make  it  a  little 
facetious  by  saying:  'Here  is  a  square;  if  you 
find  things  crooked,  square  them  up.  Here  is 
a  saw ;  if  you  find  things  that  you  can  not  square 
up,  saw  them  off.  Here  is  a  hammer;  if  you 
find  things  that  are  good,  nail  them  down.'  He 
replied  that  he  intended  to  go  to  Africa.  This 
was  the  first  time  that  he  revealed  his  purpose 
to  me,  though  I  think  he  had  mentioned  it  to 
some  of  the  others. 

' '  Thus  closed  his  career  at  the  Southern  Chris- 
tian Institute,  and  as  we  look  upon  it  now  it 
looks  more  like  a  combination  of  incidents.  It 
was  the  preparation  of  a  life  for  great  useful- 
ness in  the  field  he  chose  as  his  field  of  labor. 
To  us  his  death  seems  untimely  and  a  great  loss. 
He  was  cut  off  just  as  his  mission  began  to  take 
hold  of  the  mission-loving  people  everywhere, 
but  our  Heavenly  Father  knows  best.  He  could 
have  given  safe  conduct  through  the  angry  cur- 
rent off  the  coast  of  Schieffelin,  but  He  decreed 
otherwise,  and  we  bow  to  His  will. 

"J.  B.  Lehman, 
''President  Southern  Christian  Institute." 

While  Jacob  Kenoly  was  a  student  at  the  - 
Southern  Christian  Institute,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A. 
T.  Ross  were  workers  there;  he  as  superintend- 
ent of  industries  and  she  as  matron  of  the  boys' 


SCHOOL  DAYS 


23 


dormitory.  Mrs.  Ross  was  a  great  help  to  all 
the  boys  who  came  under  her  care ;  but  to  such 
a  spirit  as  Jacob's  she  was  a  great  inspiration, 
and  was,  no  doubt,  one  of  the  influences  used  of 
God  which  helped  in  the  perfecting  and  molding 
of  this  marvelous  life.  She  was  to  him  as  a 
spiritual  mother,  and  he  loved  and  esteemed  her 
probably  more  than  any  one  else.  In  his  letters 
he  speaks  most  often  of  her  and  of  Miss  Flor- 
ence Denham,  formerly  of  Bloomington,  Illinois, 
but  now  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  who  aided  Jacob 
in  his  struggle  to  remain  at  the  Southern  Chris- 
tian Institute  and  in  his  work  to  the  close  of 
his  life,  and  for  whom  he  named  his  mission  at 
Schieffelin,  calling  it  "Denham  Station."  To 
Mrs.  Ross  he  wrote  often,  and  in  his  darkest 
hours  in  Africa  poured  out  his  sovil  to  her  as 
to  no  other.  He  called  her  "IMother"  and 
named  his  school  building  the  ' '  Ross ' '  Building. 

The  following  tribute  from  Mrs.  Ross  is  of 
great  value  and  interest.  She  too  writes  of  his 
life  at  the  Southern  Christian  Institute  and 
throws  additional  light  on  certain  phases  of  his 
character.  In  sending  this  concerning  him,  Mrs. 
Ross  says :  "  I  am  sending  a  few  remembrances 
of  Jacob's  life.  But  no  tongue  or  pen  could  do 
him  justice." 

"I  thank  my  God  upon  every  remembrance 
of  Jacob  Kenoly  for  his  fellowship  in  the  gospel 
from  the  first  day  until  now.  My  own  faith  is 
3 


24         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


strengthened,  my  sympathies  quickened,  my  con- 
science smitten  whenever  I  recall  his  fidelity, 
his  faithfulness,  his  unselfishness,  his  absolute 
trust,  his  devotion  to  God.  I  think  all  the 
workers  at  the  Southern  Christian  Institute 
would  sanction  the  testimony  as  given  by  the 
registrar  of  the  State  Agricultural  and  I\Iechan- 
ical  College  of  Normal,  Alabama,  where  Jacob 
was  a  student  in  1897-99.  Mr.  Hopkins  writes : 
'  Jacob  was  a  diligent  but  not  a  brilliant  student. 
He  finished  our  course  in  agriculture  in  1898. 
He  was  faithful  to  duty,  correct  in  his  moral 
life,  and  a  devoted  Christian.  Our  late  presi- 
dent, W.  H.  Councill,  held  him  in  high  esteem. 
Jacob  contributed  no  little  to  the  maintenance 
of  his  sister,  Ella  Kenoly,  who  was  in  school 
here  for  several  years,  having  graduated  this 
year  in  domestic  science.' 

"I  want  to  mention  a  few  characteristics  and 
incidents  of  his  life  at  the  Southern  Christian 
Institute.  His  love  for  God  and  His  Word  of 
Truth  was  a  striking  element  of  his  character. 
He  seemed  to  have  reverence  for  the  Book  itself. 
While  using  his  Bible  daily,  he  took  the  greatest 
care  of  it,  often  wrapping  it  in  a  soft  paper 
when  he  laid  it  away.  One  of  his  favorite  songs 
was,  '0  cling  to  the  Bible,  my  boy,'  which  he 
would  sing  as  a  solo,  always  holding  the  Book 
tenderly  next  to  his  heart.  He  had  great  re- 
spect for  and  appreciation  of  his  teachers.  It 


SCHOOL  DAYS 


25 


was  a  matter  of  keen  regret  and  humiliation  to 
him  when  any  of  his  fellow  students  made  us 
trouble.  His  people  meant  so  much  to  him,  he 
was  so  much  one  of  them,  that  he  really  suf- 
fered when  one  of  them  went  wrong  as  if  they 
were  a  part  of  himself;  like  the  Master,  he  bore 
their  sins  on  his  heart.  At  one  time  we  had  an 
incorrigible  boy  in  school — bad-tempered,  inso- 
lent, and  vicious.  He  had  been  reproved,  ad- 
monished, and  punished,  but  to  no  avail.  Jacob 
had  reasoned  with  and  entreated  him  with  seem- 
ingly no  effect  upon  the  refractory  boy.  One 
day,  when  they  were  in  the  woods  chopping, 
Jacob  took  the  boy,  tied  him  to  a  tree,  and  gave 
him  a  hard  whipping.  I  can  never  forget  the 
expression  on  Jacob's  face  as  he  told  me  what 
he  had  done.  He  was  serious  and  earnest  as 
if  he  had  faced  a  hard  duty  and  performed  it 
conscientiously.  The  bad  boy  was  helped,  at 
least  he  always  manifested  a  wholesome  respect 
for  Jacob. 

' '  At  one  time  Jacob  was  so  destitute  of  clothes 
he  thought  he  would  leave  school  and  go  out  to 
work  a  while.  President  Lehman  did  not  want 
him  to  do  that;  so  I  said,  'Wait  a  little,  Jacob, 
and  I  will  see  what  can  be  done.'  I  wrote  to 
the  Christian  Endeavor  Society  at  Bloomington, 
Illinois,  and  to  the  Ladies'  Aid  at  Pomona,  Cali- 
fornia, and  soon  heard  from  both  places.  Mrs. 
IMamie    Denham    Strohmeir    answered  from 


26         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


Bloomington,  saying  the  Christian  Endeavor  So- 
ciety -would  like  to  take  Jacob  and  help  him 
through  school,  and  enclosed  eight  dollars.  Mrs. 
H.  T.  Buff  sent  five  dollars  from  Pomona.  We 
called  Jacob  up  to  the  office  and  told  him,  but 
he  straightened  himself  up  and  thanked  us,  but 
said  he  could  not  accept  the  money,  as  he  was 
able  to  work  for  his  clothes.  'Better  give  the 
money  to  some  weak  one  who  can  not  work,'  he 
said.  ]\Ir.  Lehman  gave  him  extra  work  around 
the  premises  to  let  him  feel  that  he  had  earned 
the  money.  The  young  people  at  Bloomington 
continued  to  send  money  at  regular  intervals, 
and  sent  letters  to  Jacob,  which  he  answered 
promptly,  always  bringing  them  to  me  to  cor- 
rect. I  would  mark  them,  and  then  he  would 
laboriously  and  with  great  care  rewrite  them 
and  bring  them  again,  to  see  that  there  were  no 
mistakes.  One  day  the  Bloomington  letter  came, 
but  in  a  strange  handwriting.  It  was  from  ]\Iiss 
Florence  Denham,  with  the  inclosed  amount  of 
money,  but  bearing  the  sad  news  that  her  be- 
loved sister,  IMrs.  Strohmeir,  had  died  suddenly. 
Wlien  I  read  the  letter  to  Jacob  his  great  eyes 
filled  with  tears,  and  with  trembling  lip  he  said, 
'I  have  lost  a  friend.'  The  account  of  IMrs. 
Strohmeir 's  death  was  sent  to  me,  and  also  her 
picture.  Jacob  wished  so  much  that  he  could 
have  the  picture;  so  I  cut  it  out  of  the  paper 
and  gave  it  to  him,  and  he  pasted  it  in  his  Bible 


SCHOOL  DAYS 


and  wrote  under  it,  'My  true  friend.'  I  have 
no  doubt  but  that  the  Bible  that  was  stolen  from 
him  on  his  trip  from  Liverpool  to  Monrovia 
bears  on  its  fly-leaf  the  sweet  likeness  of  Mrs. 
Strohmeir.  The  society  at  Bloomington  at  one 
time  wrote  to  me,  wanting  to  send  Jacob  to 
Eureka  College ;  but  he  was  graduated  from  the 
Southern  Christian  Institute,  had  gone  to  Ar- 
kansas, built  a  log  schoolhouse,  and  was  teaching 
and  preaching  and  doing  so  much  good  that  it 
seemed  wiser  to  let  him  stay  at  his  work.  But 
Bloomington  has  always  felt  a  deep  interest  in 
Jacob,  and  Miss  Florence  Denham  kept  up  cor- 
respondence with  him  and  helped  him  in  many 
ways.  Jacob  in  loving  remembrance  called  his 
place  ^n  Liberia  '  Denham  Station. '  The  con- 
versation with  Jacob  that  remains  most  vividly 
with  me  was  one  Sunday  after  morning  worship. 
He  asked  me  to  tell  him  more  of  my  girlhood 
friend,  Lydia  "Walker  Good,  who  spent  twenty 
years  in  Africa.  I  had  told  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  the  night  before  something 
of  her  life.  I  told  Jacob  of  the  heroic  lives  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adolphus  C.  Good,  and  how  he 
had  laid  down  his  life  in  Africa,  and  that  Mrs. 
Good  was  now  in  this  country  educating  their 
only  child,  Irwin,  to  go  back  and  take  his  fa- 
ther's place. 

' '  Jacob  listened  so  earnestly  and  thoughtfully, 
and  said,  'Mrs.  Ross,  white  folks  can't  live  in 


38         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


Africa;  you  all  can't  stand  that  climate,  but  we 
can.  I  'II  go  myself  some  day.'  I  just  felt  in 
my  heart  that  Jacob  would  do  what  he  said. 
I  did  not  know  how  or  when,  but  those  words 
rang  in  my  ear  like  a  prophecy;  and  when  I 
broke  the  seal  of  that  first  letter  bearing  dale 
July,  1905,  ]\Ionrovia,  Liberia,  West  Africa,  I 
knew  that  God  had  led  Jacob  into  his  heart's 
desire  to  teach  his  people  in  that  dark  land.  I 
have  kept  all  of  Jacob's  letters.  In  them  there 
is  never  a  fault  found  with  any  one,  but  his 
heart  was  full  of  thanksgiving  and  praise  for 
what  had  been  done. 

"The  first  foreign  missionary  sent  out  by  the 
disciples  was  a  Negro  slave  boy  of  Kentucky, 
Alexander  Cross,  who  went  to  Monrovia  in  1852. 
It  has  always  seemed  to  me  a  significant  thing 
that  Jacob  Kenoly  should  after  all  these  years 
have  gone  to  the  same  place  and  lifted  again  the 
banner  of  the  Lord  Jesus  where  the  nerveless 
hands  of  Alexander  Cross  laid  it  do%vn.  I  wrote 
to  Jacob  of  that  early  work.  He  made  inquiry 
and  found  people  who  remembered  Alexander 
Cross  and  his  work,  though  he  lived  but  a  short 
time.    Another  life  for  Africa! 

'  'T  is  the  way  of  the  cross.'  It  takes  life 
to  save  life.  Toung  Golaz  and  his  wife  died 
within  a  year  after  going  to  Africa.  To  the 
friend  who  wiped  the  death-damp  from  his  brow 


SCHOOL  DAYS 


S9 


he  said :  '  Tell  the  Church  at  home  not  to  be  dis- 
couraged if  the  first  workers  fall  in  the  field. 
Our  graves  will  mark  the  way  where  others  will 
march  past  in  great  strides.'  Jacob  Kenoly  has 
not  lived  in  vain,  neither  labored  in  vain.  Years 
.will  come  and  years  will  go;  his  body  will  lie 
near  the  mission  he  so  loved,  where  the  ocean 
waves  v/ill  sing  his  requiem,  but  the  story  of  his 
heroic  life  will  be  told,  others  will  be  constrained 
to  go,  and  so  the  old,  old  story  will  be  told 
until  every  river  town  and  every  forest  tribe 
shall  have  heard  of  the  salvation  of  our  God. 
Then  shall  the  King  see  the  travail  of  His  soul 
and  be  satisfied  in  the  redemption  of  Africa. 

"Elizabeth  W.  Ross. 
"Eureka,  III.,  Oct.  8,  1911." 

In  the  above  account  Mrs.  Ross  speaks  of 
Alexander  Cross,  the  slave  boy  who  was  sent  as 
a  missionary  to  Monrovia,  Liberia,  in  1852.  On 
a  recent  visit  to  Kentucky  a  member  of  the  Ex- 
ecutive Committee  of  the  Christian  Woman's 
Board  of  Missions  obtained  additional  informa- 
tion in  regard  to  this,  and  writes  of  it  as  fol- 
lows: "Some  of  the  officers  of  the  Church  at 
Hopkinsville,  Kentucky,  bought  a  young  Negro 
slave,  Alexander  Cross,  and  educated  him  as  a 
missionary  and  sent  him  to  Liberia,  Africa,  in 
1852.    This  church  justly  feels  a  pride  in  hav- 


30         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


ing  sent  out  the  first  missionary  among  oxxr  peo- 
ple. They  were  very  hopeful  of  results  from 
the  work  of  Alexander  Cross,  but  this  young 
man  lived  less  than  two  years  after  reaching  the 
field." 


CHAPTER  III 


INTERIM  BETWEEN  LEAVING  THE 
SOUTHERN  CHRISTIAN  INSTITUTE 
AND  LANDING  AT  MONROVIA, 
LIBERIA 

As  THERE  is  no  consecutive  narrative  of  the 
above  period,  the  incidents  are  traced,  as  nearly 
as  possible,  from  letters  in  the  writer's  posses- 
sion. These  letters  are  all  addressed  to  Mr. 
Lehman. 

Jacob  Kenoly  finished  his  course  at  the  South- 
ern Christian  Institute  in  May,  1902.  His  first 
letter  after  this  is  written  from  Bentonville, 
Arkansas,  January  27,  1903.  In  it  he  speaks 
of  his  work  in  Jared,  Arkansas,  which  place  is 
twenty-eight  miles  from  Bentonville  and  from 
any  railroad  station.  A  white  man  had  given 
Jacob  the  privilege  of  cutting  trees  on  his  plan- 
tation in  order  to  get  logs  for  a  combined  school- 
house  and  church  for  the  colored  people,  who 
were  so  isolated  that  they  had  no  school  privi- 
leges. He  writes,  "I  hewed  all  the  logs  for  this 
building  excepting  five. ' '  He  then  describes  the 
old-fashioned  "raising"  they  had  for  this  build- 
81 


32         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


ing.  In  this  he  notes  that  a  large  number  of 
white  men  took  part,  and  that  a  Brother  and 
Sister  Casey  furnished  the  dinner  near  by,  so 
that  no  time  from  the  work  was  lost.  And  so  at 
night  the  building  was  nearly  completed.  In 
this  letter  he  speaks  very  highly  of  the  moral 
condition  of  the  people  there  and  says:  "They 
are  quiet  and  orderly,  and  there  is  no  intem- 
perance. I  am  told  Satan  does  not  lift  very  high 
his  banner  where  he  has  to  walk  so  far  and  en- 
counter so  many  hardships."  Satan  as  well  as 
God  was  a  very  real  personage  with  Jacob.  But 
the  people  lacked  some  in  both  intelligence  and 
enterprise;  so  it  was  his  purpose  to  teach  and 
inspire  them.  He  taught  day  school  and  or- 
ganized a  Sunday  school  and  Christian  En- 
deavor Society  and  preached  as  opportunity 
afforded. 

In  his  next  letter  he  tells  of  working  three 
weeks  at  Fayetteville  helping  to  build  a  house 
for  a  Mr.  Young.  He  also  built  a  house  in  Ben- 
tonville  and  one  at  Lincoln,  about  twenty-five 
miles  from  there.  He  speaks  of  meetings  held  in 
Bentonville  and  Huntsville  and  in  the  log  school- 
house  built  largely  with  his  o\^ti  hands.  As 
there  were  not  enough  families  in  the  church 
where  he  ministered  to  continue  the  Sunday 
school,  he  taught  in  the  Baptist  Sunday  school. 
Of  this  he  writes,  "One  old  brother  wanted  the 
school  to  stop  me  from  teaching  because  I  had 


LEAVING  FOR  MONROVIA  33 


taught  that  Apollos  and  those  he  baptized  were 
Baptists  until  Aquila  and  Priscilla  showed  them 
their  mistake." 

In  a  letter  written  from  Bentonville,  June  5, 
1903,  he  says:  "I  am  certainly  glad  to  see  in 
The  Gospel  Plea  that  five  students  have  been 
faithful  enough  to  complete  their  course.  This 
has  taken  sacrifice  on  your  part.  I  am  glad 
there  is  one  there  who  can  have  patience  with 
my  people  until  they  can  overcome  their  many 
mistakes.  I  thought  I  knew  all  about  my  peo- 
ple's mistakes,  and  I  did  know  some  things 
about  them;  but  when  I  began  to  teach  and  to 
deal  with  them,  I  now  feel  like  saying  that  no 
one  knows  anything  about  any  people  until  he 
deals  with  them.  Since  I  wrote  you  last  I  have 
been  over  to  Huntsville.  I  have  completed  the 
church  which  I  began  to  build  last  winter,  and 
have  organized  a  Sunday  school  and  held  a  meet- 
ing. They  are  certainly  proud  of  their  building, 
and  they  will  have  public  school  there  this  fall. 
I  had  the  good  pleasure  of  saying  I  used  the 
hammer  and  saw  and  square,  which  the  good 
people  of  the  Southern  Christian  Institute 
gave  me." 

In  different  letters  he  tells  of  his  various  em- 
ployments— sometimes  working  at  the  carpen- 
ter's trade,  sometimes  ru.nning  a  reaper  in  the 
grain  fields,  and  always  preaching  as  opportu- 
nity afforded.    At  last  he  is  called  to  teach  in 


34         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLT 


the  public  school  in  Beutonville.  Here  he  taught 
eight  months,  all  the  time  working  among  the 
weak  churches  in  Northwest  Arkansas.  He  also 
tells  of  a  visit  he  made  among  his  relatives  in 
^Missouri,  and  of  his  soliciting  students  for  his 
beloved  Southern  Christian  Institute.  The  last 
letter  written  to  Mr.  Lehman  while  in  the  United 
States  was  in  January,  1904.  In  none  of  these 
letters  does  he  mention  his  purpose  of  going  to 
Liberia.  His  next  letter  to  him  was  written  in 
August,  1905,  from  Monrovia,  Liberia. 

This  period  of  Jacob's  career  is  given  thus 
fully  not  because  there  is  anything  especially  re- 
markable in  it,  but  because  it  reveals  to  some 
extent  the  spirit  of  the  man.  His  reference  to 
being  glad  because  of  the  patience  of  ilr.  Leh- 
man with  his  people  explains  much  in  his  after- 
life. The  sins  and  follies  of  his  people  rested 
on  him.  "Whatever  was  done  for  them  was  done 
for  him.  This  making  himself  one  with  them 
accounted  in  large  measure  for  the  great  pur- 
pose of  his  life.  Their  need  was  his  call.  Then 
the  call  came  to  him  from  his  people  near  at 
hand  as  well  as  far  off.  So  many  dream  of  mis- 
sion fields  far  away  and  pass  the  open  door  near. 
In  the -mountains  of  Arkansas  working  on  log 
buildings  and  in  the  fields,  and  teaching  his 
people  in  day  school  and  Sunday  scliool  and 
preaching  for  them,  he  was  receiving  perhaps 
the  best  training  possible  to  fit  him  for  his  mis- 


LEAVING  FOR  ^iIONROVIA  35 


sion  among  natives  in  Liberia.  He  started  to 
Africa  by  way  of  Arkansas.  In  the  Ozark 
Mountains  he  finished  his  schooling  for  work 
among  the  wild  men  in  the  jungles  of  Africa. 
The  best  training  for  work  among  the  heathen 
is  work  among  the  half-heathen  at  our  gate.  All 
this  time  Jacob  was  planning  his  journey  to  the 
"Dark  Continent."  Strange  as  it  may  seem, 
while  doing  this  kind  of  mission  work  he  was 
saving  twenty  per  cent  of  all  he  received,  for  his 
proposed  mission  across  the  sea.  The  call  which 
came  to  Jacob  was  not  to  have  some  one  send 
him  to  the  millions  who  know  not  God,  but  the 
call  he  received  from  the  Father  was  for  him 
to  go  to  them  with  the  Bread  of  Life.  So  in  the 
three  years  of.  toil  in  Arkansas  he  must  have 
had  the  vision  of  his  future  field  before  him. 
Then  stranger  still  was  the  fact  that  he  made 
no  mention  of  his  purpose,  as  far  as  we  know, 
to  any  one.  The  only  allusion  found  in  any 
of  his  letters  was  this,  "I  have  saved  money, 
and  if  I  do  not  go  to  school  any  more  I  want 
to  go  where  more  of  my  people  are  found. ' '  The 
first  letter  from  Liberia  gives  a  hint  as  to  why 
he  did  not  mention  his  purpose :  ' '  The  people  in 
Bentonville,  Arkansas,  and  Okmulgee,  Indian 
Territory,  where  I  have  been  at  work  and  where 
they  have  had  an  opportunity  to  learn  some- 
thing about  me,  say  that  I  believe  in  showing 
my  determination  by  my  works.   I  had  planned 


36         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


to  go  to  the  Southern  Christian  Institute,  to 
see  you  aU  before  I  went,  but  did  not  succeed. 
I  started  from  Muscogee,  Indian  Territory, 
June  5,  1905,  and  arrived  in  Monrovia,  Liberia, 
July  26th.  I  stopped  many  days  in  New  York 
Citj^  and  many  days  in  Liverpool,  England." 

The  reference  to  Okmulgee  in  the  above  is 
the  only  mention  found  in  the  letters  in  the 
writer's  possession  of  his  year's  work  in  the 
Indian  Territory.  The  foUovrtng  from  F.  L, 
Van  Yoorhis  in  The  Missionary  Tidings,  issue 
of  ilay,  1909,  throws  light  on  this  period : 

"It  was  while  I  was  ministering  for  the 
church  at  Okmulgee,  then  in  Indian  Territory. 
One  Monday  morning,  early  in  the  fall  of  190-4, 
I  met  a  Negro  on  the  street  who,  even  while 
some  distance  away,  gave  me  the  impression  of 
being  different  from  the  other  colored  men  of 
the  town.  As  we  approached  each  other  he 
lifted  his  hat  and  in  a  genteel,  unhesitating  man- 
ner said,  'This  is  the  Cliristian  minister,  I  be- 
lie^e.'  I  said  it  was  my  honor.  'I  took  the 
liberty,'  he  said,  'to  hear  your  sermon  from 
the  sidewalk  last  night,  and  I  hope  you  will  not 
consider  it  an  intrusion.  I  am  a  member  of 
the  Christian  Church,  and  it  is  a  great  pleasure 
to  hear  the  kind  of  preaching  to  which  I  have 
been  accustomed.  I  seldom  get  to  hear  our 
people  now.'   I  assured  him  that  he  was  more 


LEAVING  FOn  MONROVIA  37 


than  welcome  to  all  that  he  could  get  from  our 
services.  His  unusual  intelligence,  simplicity 
of  manner,  and  seeming  straightforwardness 
appealed  to  me  at  once.  He  then  told  me  that 
his  name  was  Kenoly,  'Jacob  Kenoly, '  he  said. 
'I  am  a  graduate  of  the  Southern  Christian  In- 
stitute— Mr.  Lehman's  school,  you  know.  You 
no  doubt  are  acquainted  with  Mr.  Lehman  and 
with  C.  C.  Smith?'  How  his  face  did  light  up 
with  pride  and  gratitude  at  the  mention  of  these 
names !  He  told  me  some  very  interesting  things 
concerning  the  institution  and  individuals  con- 
nected with  it.  He  told  me  that  he  had  come 
to  Okmulgee  in  search  of  work,  and  had  found 
employment  ^vith  the  Frisco  Railroad  as  baggage 
manager  and  mail  carrier.  'But,'  he  said,  'I  ex- 
pect this  to  be  only  temporary,  for  I  expect  soon 
to  start  a  school,  a  Bible  training  school,  for 
my  people.  I  came  to  this  part  of  the  country 
hoping  that  I  might  find  an  opening  for  such 
an  enterprise.  I  realize  that  I  will  have  to  wait 
God's  own  good  time,  and  that  whenever  I  do 
start  it  must  be  in  a  meager  way.'  I  was  in- 
terested. I  like  the  black  fellow.  The  feeling 
grew  on  me.  Many  a  Sunday  evening  he  would 
come  quietly  to  the  study  after  the  congregation 
had  assembled,  and  depart  with  as  little  intru- 
sion before  it  was  dismissed.  His  presence, 
known  only;  to  me,  was  always  an  inspiration. 


38         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


There  seemed  to  be  a  response  which  was  lacking 
when  he  was  not  there.  He  came  to  me  on  the 
street  one  day  and,  handing  me  seventy-five 
cents,  asked  that  I  have  The  Christian  Standard 
sent  to  his  name  for  six  months.  He  informed 
me  not  long  after  that  he  had  found  a  few  mem- 
bers of  the  Christian  Church  among  his  people 
and  expected,  with  my  advice  and  help,  to  try 
to  do  some  work  amongst  the  Negroes  soon. 
I  assured  him  that  he  would  have  my  hearty  co- 
operation. 

"One  day  some  one  else  began  carrjang  the 
mail.  It  was  a  week  before  I  thought  much 
about  it.  I  then  began  to  inquire  for  Jacob 
Kenoly.  All  I  could  learn  was  that  he  was  gone. 
"Where  or  in  what  direction  he  had  taken  his 
way  I  could  not  determine.  I  missed  him.  He 
had  made  an  unusual  impression  upon  me. 
Some  way  I  expected  to  hear  from  him  again. 
Two  years  passed,  and  then  I  read  his  story  in 
The  Missionary  Tidings  and  other  periodicals. 
I  was  not  surprised,  but  delighted  beyond  meas- 
ure. Some  way  it  was  about  what  I  had  ex- 
pected. As  nearly  as  I  can  trace,  he  had  gone 
from  Okmulgee  to  the  fair  at  St.  Louis,  and  that 
■svas  the  beginning  of  his  remarkable  and  event- 
ful journey  to  Africa.  Some  day,  when  I  am 
relieved  of  heavy  church-building  obligations 
and  duties,  I  hope  to  be  accounted  as  one  of  the 
liberal  supporters  of  the  work  of  Jacob  Kenoly 


LEAVING  FOR  MONROVIA  3t 


in  Liberia.  May  the  good  Father  give  him 
physical  strength  and  faith  for  a  great  work 
among  his  people. 

' '  Frank  L.  Van  Vookhis.  ' ' 

The  most  connected  account  in  the  writer's 
possession  of  his  journey  to  and  landing  in 
Africa  is  in  a  letter  written  to  Mrs.  Ross  from. 
Marshall,  Liberia,  after  he  had  been  in  Africa 
a  year  and  four  months:  "It  has  always  been 
my  desire  to  do  missionary  work  among  my  peo- 
ple in  Africa.  The  last  time  I  met  our  Chris- 
tian Endeavor  Society  at  the  Southern  Christian 
Institute  I  told  the  Endeavorers  that  I  meant 
my  greatest  work  to  be  in  Africa,  and  on  leav- 
ing school  this  was  the  greatest  thing  before  me. 
I  taught  school  in  Bentonville,  Arkansas,  and 
managed  to  save  a  little  money.  I  then  went  to 
St.  Louis  to  the  World's  Fair.  From  there  I 
meant  to  go  to  Eureka,  but  I  met  several  people 
from  the  Congo,  South  Africa.  After  hearing 
my  plans  they  became  very  anxious  for  me  to 
go  with  them.  The  steamer  on  which  they  in- 
tended to  go  left  New  York  on  a  certain  day. 
This  would  be  a  great  deal  cheaper  for  me.  I 
must  first  go  to  Oklahoma  to  see  my  cousi-ns,  and 
be  in  New  York  in  time.  On  making  the  rounds 
I  reached  New  York  City  after  my  friends  were 
twenty-four  hours  on  the  way.  I  was  greatly 
disappointed.  I  stopped  in  New  York  many 
4 


40         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


days,  and  met  people  who  lived  in  Liberia  who 
gave  me  information.  I  decided  to  go  alone,  and 
was  soon  on  my  way  to  Liverpool.  I  had  to 
wait  many  days  on  the  steamer  in  Liverpool. 
After  paying  board  in  New  York  I  found  my 
money  had  disappeared  very  rapidly,  so  I  had 
not  enough  to  go  on  this  steamer.  I  went  to 
the  Liberian  consul's  ofiSce  and  told  my  in- 
tentions and  condition,  and  asked  him  to  use 
his  influence  that  I  might  get  work  to  help  pay 
my  passage,  which  he  kindly  consented  to  do. 
He  added,  'We  do  not  generally  do  this;  in  fact 
we  have  made  a  rule  against  this,  but  I  feel  sure 
you  will  be  a  great  help  to  those  people  there, 
so  you  may  come  here  early  to-morrow  and  I 
wiU  see  what  I  can  do.'  As  I  came  the  next 
day  he  said:  'Get  your  baggage  down  to  the 
stage  at  eleven.  The  next  steamer  leaves  this 
morning,  and  I  will  be  there  and  see  that  you 
get  off.'  Eis  voice  was  like  something  we  do  n't 
hear  every  day.  You  might  guess  how  I  felt 
then.  It  was  while  working  in  the  kitchen  of 
this  steamer  that  I  had  the  misfortune  of  hav- 
ing my  clothing  and  valuable  papers  stolen, 
which  made  me  think  I  was  doing  wrong  in 
going  to  Liberia.  I  had  many  things  to  dis- 
courage me." 

In  writing  of  the  above  he  saj's:  "I  do  not 
like  to  tell  my  misfortunes,  but  on  this  occasion 
feel  it  necessary.  Wliile  coming  from  Liverpool 


LEAVING  FOR  MONROVIA  41 


to  this  place  there  was  a  man  claiming  to  be 
a  preacher  who  got  on  board  for  the  Madeira 
Islands.  His  bunk  was  next  to  mine.  He  spent 
much  time  every  night  in  telling  why  every  one 
should  belong  to  his  own  denomination.  When 
he  went  on  shore  he  took  one  large  telescope  of 
mine  with  all  its  contents,  including  my  recom- 
mendations and  my  diploma." 

From  later  letters  it  appears  that  all  of 
Jacob's  books,  his  Bible,  his  all  was  in  that  tele- 
scope; so  when  he  landed  in  jNIonrovia  the  26th 
of  July,  1905,  all  he  had  were  the  old  clothes 
in  which  he  had  served  as  cook  on  the  steamer, 
his  faith  in  God  in  his  heart,  and  the  truths 
of  the  Bible  in  memory. 

Some  things  in  the  above  wonderful  account 
should  perhaps  be  noted.  How  intense  was  his 
desire  to  go  to  Africa  to  carry  the  message  of 
salvation  to  those  M'ho  knew  it  not !  Everything 
revolved  around  this  desire.  He  found  what 
he  was  looking  for.  Who  but  one  filled  with 
such  desire  would  have  found  the  people  in 
St.  Louis  going  to  the  Congo  ?  Can  we  imagine 
his  disappointment  on  missing  connection  in 
New  York  with  that  steamer?  Perhaps  we  can 
not,  for  it  may  be  we  have  never  felt  so  im- 
pelled to  carry  the  gospel  message  to  those  who 
know  it  not.  In  the  great  city  of  New  York 
he  found  people  who  had  lived  in  Liberia.  He 
again  found,  in  the  midst  of  the  multitude,  the 


42 


LIFE  OF  JACOB  ICENOLY 


very  people  who  could  aid  him  on  his  way. 
They  must  have  told  him  of  a  better  chance  of 
getting  to  Africa  from  Liverpool.  "Who  but 
one  so  filled  would  have  thought  of  going  to 
the  Liberian  consul  to  get  an  opportunity  to 
v/ork  his  way  in  an  African  steamer  that  he 
might  go  to  the  Dark  Continent  with  gospel 
light?  "What  expressions  of  joy  when  the  way 
was  open!  "This  voice  was  like  something  we 
do  not  hear  every  day."  "You  might  guess 
how  I  felt  then."  We  may  not  "guess,"  for 
it  is  probable  we  have  never  felt  the  intense 
desire.  "How  I  felt,"  when  the  way  was  open 
through  separation  from  all  the  things  he  had 
loved,  to  go  to  a  dark  continent  where  igno- 
rance and  superstition  prevailed.  Yes,  the  way 
was  open  to  mud  huts  and  hunger  and  thirst 
and  destitution  and  peril  and  sufferings  with- 
out number,  for  the  joy  of  bringing  salvation 
to  the  lost.  If  such  an  intense  desire  tilled  the 
souls  of  all  who  bear  the  name  of  Christ,  we 
could  take  the  Glad  Tidings  to  even^  soul  on 
the  face  of  the  whole  earth  in  a  single  generation. 

Then  another  trial  was  to  come.  He  lost  all, 
and  so  for  a  long  time  was  crippled  in  his  mis- 
sion— no  letters  of  introduction,  no  Bible,  no 
books  with  which  to  teach  the  natives,  no  fit 
clothing  in  which  to  seek  aid  or  direction.  All 
gone.  He  was  alone  to  face  heathenism.  If 
before  he  had  understood  the  words  concerning 


LEAVINCx  FOR  ^^lONROVIA  43 


the  Redeemer,  "who  for  the  joy  that  was  set 
before  Hiiu  endured  the  cross,  despising  the 
shame,"  he  now  felt  the  awful  separation  of 
one  who  thinks  himself  deserted  by  the  Father. 
Jacob  wrote  to  a  friend  after  the  above  loss, 
"It  made  me  think  I  was  doing  wrong  in  com- 
ing to  Liberia;"  and  to  another,  "I  thought 
God  was  displeased  with  my  going  to  Liberia;" 
and  again,  "I  w^as  landed  in  Africa,  where  I 
met  the  greatest  trial  of  my  life;  insomuch  I 
began  to  think  it  was  a  mistake  to  come,  and 
God  did  not  ■want  me  to  do  this  woi'k,  else  He 
w^ould  have  prevented  these  things,  for  my  bag- 
gage was  all  taken,  and  I  landed  almost  bare 
among  strangers  who  had  no  kind  words  to  give 
one  coming  in  this  state."  Yet  with  all  this 
he  turns  his  face  to  the  jungle  with  the  torch 
which  God  had  lit  in  his  own  soul. 


CHAPTER  IV 


THE  PERIOD  BETWEEN  LANDING  AT 
MONROVIA  AND  LOCATING  AT 
SCHIEFFELIN 

It  may  be  well  for  us  at  this  time,  as  we  foUow 
this  narrative,  to  have  in  mind  the  condition  of 
our  missionary  who  was  come  to  bring  the  gos- 
pel to  the  natives  in  Africa.  He  is  without  any 
support.  His  friends  in  the  United  States  do 
not  even  know  of  his  undertaking.  He  is  ragged 
and  utterly  destitute.  He  has  no  thought  of 
appealing  to  any  one  for  aid.  He  is  as  yet  ig- 
norant of  the  conditions  he  must  meet  and  the 
dangers  he  must  avoid.  No  one  there  has  any 
sympathy  for  him  in  his  undertaking,  and  no 
welcome  for  one  in  rags.  Humanly  speaking, 
what  must  the  end  be?  If  we  had  been  con- 
sulted, would  we  not  have  replied,  "Utter  fail- 
ure?" And  would  we  not  have  given  some 
inch  sage  advice  as  this,  "It  is  well,  before  uji- 
dertaking  even  an  enterprise  so  worthy,  to  sit 
down  and  count  the  cost;  even  in  working  for 
God  we  must  be  prudent,  and  not  undertake  the 
impossible  ? ' ' 

Before  entering  upon  the  story  of  Jacob 
44 


JUNGLE  LIFE 


45 


Kenoly's  first  experience  in  Liberia  we  will 
briefly  give  some  of  his  impressions  in  this,  to 
him,  strange  land.  In  a  letter  from  Liberia, 
written  soon  after  his  arrival,  he  mentions  the 
difference  between  conditions  as  he  found  them 
there  and  those  to  which  he  had  been  accustomed 
here.  In  a  letter  to  J.  B.  Lehman,  dated 
August  6,  1905,  two  weeks  after  he  landed  in 
Liberia,  he  says:  "I  started  from  Muskogee,  In- 
dian Territory,  June  5th,  and  arrived  in  Mon- 
rovia, July  26,  1905.  Last  Sunday  I  spoke  in 
the  Presbyterian  church  and  am  to  speak  in 
the  Methodist  church  to-day.  I  do  not  find 
any  bretliren  who  claim  to  be  Christians  only. 
The  opportunities  are  great  here.  They  only 
need  to  be  used.  There  are  not  many  who  speak 
English,  but  they  have  one  who  interprets  for 
them  when  an  English-speaking  man  instructs 
them  on  the  Lord's  day. 

' '  The  people  do  not  understand  farming  here, 
and  the  market  is  very  slim.  The  natives  eat 
almost  anything,  and  some  of  those  who  are  not 
natives  do  this  also ;  and  it  is,  I  believe,  the  cause 
of  so  much  sickness  in  this  place.  If  they  would 
eat  their  food  from  cultivated  soil  it  would  be 
much  better  for  their  health, 

"There  are  no  railroads  or  horses  in  this 
place,  and  there  is  a  great  deal  of  walking  done. 
The  natives  are  used  to  carrying  heavy  loads 
on  their  backs.    There  are  railroads  and  horses 


46 


LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


farther  down  the  coast.  Here  it  is  something 
like  America  was  in  the  early  days.  There  is 
plenty  to  do,  and  doing  it  will  change  this  coun- 
try and  make  it  what  it  should  be." 

We  now  give  quotations  from  letters  written 
by  Jacob  during  1905  and  1906  which  give  his 
ideas  of  the  strange  land  to  which  he  had  come : 

"In  this  country  medicines,  cloth,  paper,  and 
things  of  that  nature  are  very,  very  dear,  and 
money  is  very  scarce.  Almost  any  kind  of  vege- 
tation grows  here,  and  yet  but  little  attention 
is  paid  to  farming.  They  seem  to  satisfy  them- 
selves with  coffee  and  rice.  The  greatest  thing 
I  have  seen  in  the  line  of  machinery  is  a  coffee 
mill. 

"Around  Monrovia  the  Americo-Liberians  are 
generally  successful  in  trading,  but  there  are 
no  manufactories  or  anything  of  that  kind. 
The  lumber  is  sawed  by  hand.  There  is  only 
one  newspaper  at  I\Ionrovia  and  one  at  Bassa; 
so  you  see  the  reading  matter  is  somewhat  scarce. 

"They  have  very  good  government  schools, 
but  the  teachers  are  paid  no  cash.  '  The  govern- 
ment can't  afford  it,'  they  say.  No  preparation 
is  being  made  for  the  heathen  boy  or  girl  that 
I  can  see.  These  are  very  anxious  to  learn. 
But  when  they  do  have  opportunities  opened 
to  them,  the  parents  become  alarmed  to  see  that 
their  children  know  the  books." 

December  1,  1905,  Jacob  was  about  thirty 


JUNGLE  LIFE 


47 


miles  back  from  Monrovia  and  wrote:  "I  have 
seen  about  one  dozen  white  families  in  this  part. 
They  are  all  German  traders  and  have  a  great 
many  natives  working  for  them.  The  native 
man,  or  'bush  man'  as  he  is  called,  wishes  for 
ediication,  though  he  has  but  little  opportunity 
to  obtain  it.  When  liis  boy  is  about  four  years 
old  he  is  sold  to  some  one  who  has  a  coffee  farm, 
or  to  some  business  man  that  he  may  become 
civilized.  A  man  will  sometimes  give  his  boys 
away,  I  learn.  These  boys  sell  from  twenty-five 
dollars  upward,  but  the  girls  are  more  expensive 
than  the  boys.  They  cost  from  two  to  three  hun- 
dred dollars,  which  is  paid  in  country  currency, 
which  consists  of  cloth,  brass  kettles,  rubber,  and 
such. ' ' 

Again  he  writes:  "There  is  a  great  demand 
for  teachers  in  this  country,  but  the  country 
needs  farmers  more  than  anything  else.  The 
people  have  nothing  with  which  to  cultivate. 
They  only  plant,  and  then  go  home  to  come  back 
no  more  until  gathering  time." 

When  sixty  miles  back  in  the  jungle  from 
Monrovia,  Jacob  writes:  "Here  almost  every 
kind  of  animal,  reptile,  and  insect  is  found. 
Here  the  forest  is  so  dense  with  millions  of  vines 
and  plenty  of  undergrowth  that  it  is  impossible 
to  walk  through  without  cutting  your  way. 
Here  there  is  a  large  population  of  natives  who 
live  in  their  little  thatch  huts.    Some  few  are 


48         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


Americo-Liberians,  old  settlers  of  this  place." 
In  this  same  letter,  written  August  4,  1906,  he 
says:  "We  are  having  our  rainy  season  now, 
which  will  last  until  December.  We  will  then 
have  six  months  of  hot,  dry  weather.  I  have 
been  teaching  during  the  rains.  WhUe  I  am 
writing  this  letter  there  are  twenty  African 
boys  before  me  conning  over  their  lessons  which 
they  will  recite  afterwhile." 

September  4,  1906,  he  writes:  "Monrovia  is 
a  not  very  healthful  place.  The  water  there  is 
not  good.  The  expenses  for  living  are  very 
great,  and  many  times  those  who  have  n't  plenty 
can  not  get  food  when  the  steamers  are  late  and 
the  heavy  rains  prevent  the  farmers  from  bring- 
ing in  what  they  have  to  sell. 

"The  main  bread  for  this  country  is  the 
casada,  bread-fruit,  and  rice.  We  have  the  eddo, 
which  is  something  like  the  Irish  potato  in  taste, 
but  looks  nothing  like  it.  ]\Iost  of  the  meat  is 
taken  from  the  African  forest  except  in  the  sea- 
port tOAvns.  The  lard  is  taken  from  the  palm 
tree,  one  of  the  most  valuable  trees  in  Africa. 
The  outside  of  the  palm  nut  makes  a  red  oil, 
but  when  it  is  burned  a  little,  becomes  clear; 
the  palm  nut  is  broken  and  the  kernel  makes  a 
clear  oil.  The  palm  tree  makes  a  cabbage  which 
is  used  like  our  cabbage  of  the  United  States. 
The  leaves  of  the  palm  tree  are  used  in  cover- 
ing houses  and  to  make  hammocks  and  ropes 


JUNGLE  LIFE 


49 


and  fish  lines.  I  will  send  you  part  of  one  leaf, 
so  you  can  see  the  fiber. 

"The  casada  is  boiled  in  water  until  thor- 
oughly cooked.  Some  of  them,  when  cooked,  be- 
come very  mealy,  others  are  starchy  and  can  be 
eaten  as  though  they  were  bread.  Most  people 
put  it  in  a  churn  and  with  a  pestle  churn  it  until 
it  looks  and  behaves  like  flour  dough.  This  they 
call  'dumboil.'  After  putting  with  it  broth  of 
whatever  kind  of  meat  they  have,  they  will  eat 
Avith  a  long  spoon.  They  think  they  must  not 
chew,  so  they  swallow  such  large  pieces  that  it 
is  very  unbecoming.  The  bread-fruit  can  be 
prepared  in  like  manner.  Our  rivers  have 
plenty  of  fish ;  so  when  the  people  are  fortunate 
enough  to  catch  fish  or  kill  animals  fit  for  food, 
they  do  very  well.  Very  few  people  have  hogs 
or  cows,  and  I  see  no  reason  for  this  excepting 
laziness. 

"The  houses  in  which  some  of  the  Americo- 
Liberians  live  are  very  good  houses  for  Liberia. 
They  have  a  zinc  roof,  and  the  frame  covered 
with  zinc  and  sealed  with  this  country's  lumber 
on  the  inside  and  openings  cut  for  windows  with 
shutters,  but  no  glass  in  the  windows,  especially 
in  this  part.  The  native  builds  his  house  with- 
out any  foundation  or  pillars  or  nails.  In  some 
cases  he  cuts  small  poles  and  ties  the  ends  to- 
gether and  arranges  the  roof  of  his  house  in 
the  form  of  the  cone.    This  is  generally  ten 


50 


LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


to  twelve  feet  covered  with  thatch  from  the 
bamboo  or  palm  leaf.  Some  drive  sticks  in 
the  earth  about  two  inches  apart  and  plaster 
with  mud,  but  leave  no  windows  for  air  or  light. 
In  many  cases  it  is  dark  as  night  at  noonday 
in  these  huts.  The  people  seem  to  fancy  this 
kind  of  building  above  an}'  other  kind.  Their 
bed  consists  of  a  mat  generally  about  one-fourth 
incli  thick,  made  with  their  own  hands  from 
the  pith  of  the  bamboo.  "When  this  is  spread 
on  the  earth  in  their  houses,  the  bed  is  ready. 
They  sometimes  make  it  large  enough  to  lay  one 
part  down  and  cover  with  the  other;  so  you  see 
they  can  take  up  their  bed  and  walk  at  any 
moment. 

' '  Although  they  live  in  this  loose  manner,  the 
standard  of  morality  is  better  than  might  be 
expected.  I  do  not  know  that  one  could  call  it 
morality,  either,  but  it  is  the  strict  country  law 
made  in  their  secret  society  called  the  'Devil's 
Bush,'  that  whoever  troubles  their  women  must 
die.  You  may  mistreat  a  man  any  other  way, 
and  notliing  much  is  done  or  said ;  but  when 
one  comes  across  this  obligation  the  end  comes. 
There  have  been  several  deaths  here  in  Liberia 
since  I  have  been  here  from  this,  and  some  few 
Americo-Liberians  for  the  same  reason  have 
been  poisoned.  Some  Avho  are  more  civilized 
and  do  not  get  into  the  'De^dl's  Bush'  must  re- 
gard this  law  also. 


JUNGLE  LIFE 


51 


"They  have  a  belief  in  God  which  is  tainted 
with  superstition  so  much  that  their  belief  in 
God  is  no  advantage  to  them.  A  horn  of  a  cow 
or  sheep  or  goat  is  very  sacred.  It  is  believed 
that  it  has  power  to  do  almost  anything  they 
wisli  to  have  it  do.  Almost  every  country-man 
here,  other  than  those  who  are  civilized,  has  a 
horn  of  one  of  these  animals  about  his  person. 
I  have  seen  several  Americans  with  the  same. 

"Those  who  are  converted  to  Christ  are  gen- 
erally more  faithful  than  are  many  professing 
Christians  in  America." 

Jacob  was  pleased  to  note  the  high  place  "big 
America"  held  with  the  native.  America  with 
him  being  next  to  heaven. 

In  his  stay  of  a  few  weeks  in  Monrovia  he 
tells  of  a  trip  he  made  into  the  country  with  a 
government  agent  who  was  carried  in  a  ham- 
mock. He  wrote:  "I  went  along  for  exercise 
and  experience,  and  got  plenty  of  both."  He 
could  with  difficulty  keep  in  sight  of  them,  so 
fast  did  they  travel.  When  they  came  to  a 
stream  they  would  wait  and  carry  him  across. 
He  writes:  "If  one  could  get  even  a  glimpse  of 
this  country  and  its  inhabitants,  he  would  won- 
der why  more  real  work  is  not  done  to  uplift 
the  people.  Almost  everything  done  in  a  re- 
ligious way  is  a  sham,  even  when  the  whole  is 
not  a  sham. ' '  Jacob  seldom  thus  wrote  or  spoke 
in  the  spirit  of  criticism.    He  always  saw  the 


52         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KEXOLY 


good  rather  than  the  evil  when  there  was  any 
good  to  see.  We  learn  from  his  letters  that 
when  he  first  landed  he  hired  out  as  a  carpenter 
at  Monrovia  at  seventy-five  cents  a  day,  in  order 
to  renew  his  wardrobe.  He  Avas  soon  taken  with 
the  acclimating  fever,  and  because  of  the  very 
unhealthful  conditions  in  Monrovia  he  made  his 
way  into  the  country.  His  first  stop  was  thirty 
miles  out.  Of  this  experience  he  writes  thus: 
"The  second  day  I  could  not  walk  and  did  not 
know  anything,  but  with  God's  help  I  got  over 
that  bad  spell.   I  do  not  know  how." 

Some  years  later  the  writer  of  this  sketch  re- 
quested him  to  write  more  fully  of  his  trials  and 
experiences  in  Africa,  in  order  to  aid  in  the 
representation  of  his  cause  to  the  churches  here. 
A  part  of  the  reply  to  this  request  we  now  give, 
as  it  undoubtedly  belongs  to  this  period: 

"I  soon  left  ]\Ionrovia  and  went  fifty  miles 
east.  The  rains  were  very  heavy.  One  travel- 
ing in  Africa  at  this  season  has  to  wade  the 
African  swamps,  which  are  sometimes  four  or 
five  feet  deep.  I  found  it  very  difficult  in 
traveling.  I  became  partly  dissatisfied  and 
Avanted  to  return  to  IMonrovia  till  the  rainy 
season  had  passed,  but  the  African  fever  took 
me  while  on  the  way.  I  fell  helpless  on  the 
roadside,  my  strength  all  gone  at  once.  When 
I  came  to  myself  I  remembered  being  in  Africa, 
when  something  told  me  that  the  lions  and 


JUNGLE  LIFE 


53 


leopards  would  make  a  meal  of  me  if  I  remained 
there;  so,  placing  my  hands  on  the  earth,  I 
crawled  to  the  center  of  the  path,  where  some 
one  might  see  me.  As  soon  as  I  could  command 
enough  strength  I  made  my  way  to  the  nearest 
hut." 

So  loath  was  he  to  make  any  mention  of  his 
sui¥erings  that  the  above  was  called  out  only 
by  earnest  request  and  because  it  was  told  him 
that  his  friends  especially  wished  an  account  of 
any  trials  or  hardships  he  had  experienced. 
"When  he  got  back  to  Monrovia  the  steamer  (on 
which  he  had  worked  his  way  to  that  land) 
landed  on  its  return  trip  from  farther  south. 
The  crew  urged  him  to  accept  his  old  position 
as  cook,  as  they  said  no  one  could  do  his  work 
so  well.  Here  now  was  a  fine  chance  for  our 
homesick,  lonely,  suffering,  destitute,  self-ap- 
pointed missionary  to  return  to  his  homeland  by 
the  way  he  had  come.  What  was  his  answer? 
"I  could  not  think  of  accepting  this,  as  it  inter- 
fered with  the  work  I  came  to  do."  What  was 
that  work  ?  This  is  stated  in  one  of  his  letters  : 
' '  I  came  here  to  work  among  the  heathen,  teach- 
ing them  that  they  may  know  the  way  of  sal- 
vation, and  I  expect  to  stay  in  Africa  four  or 
five  years.  I  may  not  stay  in  or  near  Monrovia 
all  the  time." 

In  this  connection  he  says,  "I  had  many  op- 
portunities to  return  home,"  which  opportuni- 


54 


LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


ties  one  not  so  possessed  by  a  great  purpose 
would  have  accepted.  He  had  made  no  promise 
to  any  one  to  do  this  work.  He  had  not,  up  to 
this  time,  received  anything  from  any  one  to  aid 
liim.  He  was  under  the  pay  of  no  board.  He 
was  destitute,  and  racked  with  the  fever.  Yet, 
brave  soul  that  he  was,  nothing  could  change  his 
Christlike  purpose.  Of  this  he  writes:  "I  was 
soon  among  the  native  people,  but  could  not 
understand  their  language,  could  get  no  medi- 
cine nor  proper  food  nor  a  bed.  I  said,  'But  I 
came  to  help  this  people;  I  may  not  be  able  to 
live  very  long  this  way,  but  it  is  best  to  die 
at  the  post  of  duty.'  " 

It  was  after  all  these  discouraging  experiences 
and  sufferings  that  "many  chances  came  to  him 
to  return  home."  Neither  destitution  nor  peril 
nor  disease  could  daunt  him.  It  was  after  all 
this  that  he  made  his  way  sixty  miles  into  the 
jungle,  with  the  determination  of  staying  with 
the  v>  ild  men  till  he  could  learn  their  language 
and  teach  them  his,  so  they  might  read  for  them- 
selves the  story  of  redeeming  love.  Here  he 
remained  one  year.  He  would  have  made  this 
his  permanent  mission  station  but  for  failing 
health,  and  at  last  he  left  it  only  because  he 
was  convinced  he  could  make  his  life  count  for 
more  for  the  redemption  of  Africa  by  going  to 
the  coast.  During  his  stay  here,  for  ten  weeks 
at  one  time  he  was  down  mth  the  fever  and  un- 


JUNGLE  LIFE 


65 


able  to  leave  his  hut,  and  often  while  he  was 
too  ill  to  teach  only  one  boy  came  to  minister 
unto  his  needs. 

It  was  here  on  the  side  of  a  mountain,  as  he 
says,  "I  out  my  way  and  built  me  a  house  out 
of  poles."  (His  only  tool  was  an  ax.)  "We 
had  school  in  it  six  months  during  the  rainy 
season.  When  the  dry  weather  came  we  cleared 
the  forest  and  made  a  farm.  I  started  with  five 
boys  who  could  not  speak  a  word  of  English. 
We  now  have  twenty.  Some  are  beginning  to 
read.  As  I  write"  (this  was  the  beginning  of 
a  new  term)  "twenty  African  boys  are  conning 
over  their  lessons  which  they  will  recite  to  me 
after  awhile." 

At  an  early  period  he  writes  from  this  moun- 
tain hut  to  Mrs.  Ross:  "The  card  you  sent  me 
shows  that  you  must  have  a  very  beaiitiful  home. 
You  must  be  very  happy  in  such  pleasant  sur- 
roundings. It  pleases  me  that  God  has  thus 
blessed  you  all.  My  home  is  a  contrast  in  the 
extreme  to  yours.  I  would  not  like  to  have  you 
to  see  it  just  now.  You  would  say  it  is  a  very 
poor  place  to  live  in,  though  I  try  to  keep  it 
tidy. ' '  What  kind  of  a  place  must  it  have  been 
' '  to  live  in  ? "  If  we  have  followed  this  account 
we  know,  from  the  veiy  circumstances,  what 
kind  of  a  hut  he  must  have  built  out  of  poles, 
and  that  he  had  no  furnishings  but  what  he 
gathered  from  the  forest,  no  covering  but  palm 

5 


56         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


leaves  to  keep  out  the  awful  downpour  of  rain 
for  weeks  at  a  time.  Yet  he  says,  "I  tried  to 
keep  it  tidy. ' '  Yes,  to  the  twenty  boys  crowded 
into  this  log  hut  in  the  side  of  the  mountain 
he  no  doubt  brought,  in  the  way  he  ordered  his 
home,  a  higher  conception  of  civilization. 
Writing  of  this  period,  he  says :  "  I  wished  many 
times  I  had  been  at  the  Southern  Christian  In- 
stitute when  I  had  the  African  fever,  but  I  was 
far  away,  where  I  could  get  neither  medicine 
nor  proper  food.  So  you  see  there  have  been 
weeks  of  dark  days."  Can  we  imagine  those 
days?  Tossing  for  weeks  on  his  water-soaked 
mat  of  palm  fiber,  with  no  one  to  speak  a  word 
of  sympathy  or  bring  him  a  cup  of  cold  water ! 
Is  it  any  wonder  he  "prayed  with  his  face  to- 
ward the  United  States?"  Is  it  any  wonder 
"he  watched  the  sky  as  the  clouds  parted  toward 
his  native  land?"  Is  it  strange  that  he  ex- 
claimed, "How  lonesome  is  this  place!"  He 
writes:  "Oh,  how  lonesome  sometimes  this  place 
is  when  the  boys  are  all  gone  home.  I  sometimes 
look  at  the  sky  in  the  direction  of  the  United 
States  and  say,  'Most  people  over  there  do  not 
dream  of  what  one  comes  in  contact  with  over 
in  these  jungles,  but  I  am  becoming  more  used 
to  it  now.'  " 

Again  he  says :  ' '  Then,  when  the  fever  would 
abate,  I  would  teach  the  native  boys  to  read. 
They  would  come  and  sit  down  on  the  ground 


JUNGLE  LIFE 


57 


for  hours  to  ask  questions  about  'big  America,' 
as  they  called  it. 

"You  must  know  this  was  a  very  dark  period 
with  me.  One  might  better  understand  some 
of  the  sore  trials  which  come  to  some  if  they 
could  know  how  it  is  to  start  from  a  land  which 
flourishes  like  the  United  States  and,  through 
many  disappointments,  arrive  at  a  wild  country 
stripped  of  all  their  earthly  belongings  and  be- 
come helpless.  I  tried  to  console  myself  by  say- 
ing, 'These  rivers  and  mountains  are  the  handi- 
work of  God,  and  He  is  the  only  One  who  knows 
my  condition;  and  if  there  is  any  help  to  come, 
I  must  look  to  Him  for  it. '  But  the  Great  Sym- 
pathizer was  near  and  came  to  my  relief,  and 
I  began  the  work  I  came  to  do.  I  am  stronger 
to-day  than  I  could  have  been  had  I  not  had 
these  trials."  For  what  has  he  suffered  thus? 
And  we  repeat,  he  is  here  simply  that  he  may 
learn  the  language  of  a  wild  people,  in  order 
to  tell  them  the  story  of  redeeming  love  in  their 
own  tongue.  Yet  amid  all  this  suffering  and 
privation  listen  to  this  note  of  cheer.  When 
"making  his  farm"  he  writes,  "My  school  is 
out,  the  rainy  season  is  over,  the  sun  comes  down 
with  double  force,  the  natives  are  singing,  the 
animals  and  birds  make  the  woods  ring  with 
their  music."  We  envy  the  man  who,  amid  the 
above  conditions,  could  write  those  lines. 

Of  the  worship  of  the  natives  at  this  mountain 


58         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


home  he  writes:  "There  is  a  large  cave  in  the 
side  of  this  mountain  which  roars  like  thunder. 
The  native  people  go  there  to  worship.  One  of 
my  hoys  told  me  that  his  people  say  God  lives 
in  that  cave,  and  He  has  a  large  fami]J^  He 
does  not  know  all  Ilis  family's  names,  but  one  is 
Joseph,  one  Mary,  and  one  Jesus.  He  thinks 
he  has  seen  Joseph,  but  is  not  sure.  Tliey  carry 
clotlics  for  the  family,  for  he  says  they  dress 
like  American  people.  They  also  carry  rice, 
tobacco,  and  liquor.  This  boy  is  anxious  to 
learn  to  read,  so  he  can  read  tlie  Bible  to  his 
people. 

"The  tribe  where  I  am  teaching  is  called  the 
Bassa  tribe.  Every  tril)e  has  its  own  language. 
1  am  beginning  to  understand  the  language  very 
well.  I  am  told  the  natives  learn  English  bet- 
ter and  quicker  when  you  do  not  know  too  much 
of  tlieir  language.  They  will  become  accustomed 
to  English  by  hearing  it  spoken.  Some  of  my 
boys  can  now  speak  English  well.  All  can  speak 
some. 

"In  a  place  like  this  it  requires  the  patience 
of  Job.  Without  this,  little  can  be  accomplished. 
The  people  here  seem  to  be  up  to  everything 
which  is  low  and  wicked.  Even  those  who  wor- 
ship in  the  cave  claim  that  their  god  does  not 
care  what  they  do,  so  they  are  good  the  day  they 
come  to  the  cave  and  bring  a  good  sacrifice  of 
plenty  of  clothes  and  provisions  to  support  his 


JUNGLE  LIFE 


69 


family.  This  is  almost  paralleled  by  some  of 
my  people  at  home.  They  had  to  be  good  only 
on  the  day  they  went  to  Church." 

Let  us  remember  that  up  to  the  close  of  this 
year's  work  Jacob  had  had  no  Bible  nor  books 
of  any  kind.  He  had  received  no  aid  of  any  de- 
scription from  the  homeland.  He  not  only  was 
down  with  the  fever  for  ten  weeks  at  one  time, 
but  had  returns  of  the  fever  again  and  again. 
Can  we  imagine  him  amid  the  awful  heat,  almost 
under  the  equator!  Yet  he  rejoices  to  "hear 
the  birds  sing."  Weak  as  he  was,  he  with  his 
wild  boys  works  in  the  jungle  to  bring  a  new 
civilization,  teaching  the  good  news  of  better 
farming  along  with  the  good  news  of  salvation. 

We  repeat  what  he  said  of  this  time,  ' '  I  know 
I  can  not  live  long  this  way,  but  it  is  best  to 
die  at  the  post  of  duty."  And  again  we  ask, 
Why  does  he  stay,  as  the  way  is  open  to  him  to 
return  home  by  the  way  he  came  ?  He  stays  to 
bring  salvation  to  the  people  who  are  dying  with- 
out God  or  hope. 

In  the  midst  of  this  lonely,  almost  hopeless 
life  an  educated  Negro  (who  had  been  trained 
in  England  for  service  in  Liberia)  found  him 
and  urged  him  to  come  to  Sehieffelin  on  the 
coast  to  teach  among  the  descendants  of  those 
who  had  been  colonized  from  the  United  States 
in  1820.  Weakened  by  disease,  he  turned  his 
face  to  his  new  field,  but  not  away  from  the 


60         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


twenty  boys  whom  he  had  learned  to  love  in 
their  jungle  life,  for  he  bears  them  in  his  heart 
of  hearts  and  under  the  new  conditions  plans 
for  their  betterment.  When  preparing  to  leave 
his  hut  on  the  hillside  and  go  to  Schieffelin,  he 
says:  "Things  are  not  as  discouraging  now  as 
they  have  been,  though  I  have  not  had  a  com- 
fortable place  to  stay ;  but  my  satisfaction  comes 
when  I  know  I  am  doing  what  the  Lord  would 
have  me  do,  for  He  has  blessed  my  weak  efforts. 
I  can  look  with  pleasure  over  my  experience  in 
Liberia. ' ' 


CHAPTER  V 


THE  FIRST  YEAR  IN  SCHIEFFELIN 

In  a  letter  written  from  his  jungle  hut  under 
date  of  November  27,  1907,  we  find  the  first 
mention  of  Schieffelin.  In  this  letter  he  says, 
"Schieffelin  is  a  little  settlement  of  Americo- 
Liberians,  a  short  distance  from  this  place." 
As  his  mountain  hut  was  sixty  miles  from  Mon- 
rovia, his  "short  distance"  must  have  been  about 
thirty  miles,  for  Schieffelin  is  about  thirty  miles 
from  Monrovia.  He  had  been  urged  to  come  to 
Schieffelin  and  open  a  school,  and  had  been  told 
of  an  old  school  building  which  could  be  used 
for  this  purpose.  In  another  letter  of  this  pe- 
riod the  following  is  found,  "I  must  go  to 
Schieffelin  and  make  some  repairs  on  the  school 
building."  This  proved  to  be  a  very  dilapi- 
dated building.  The  only  part  which  could  be 
used  was  a  sort  of  basement,  and  this  he  was 
obliged  to  brace  vdth  timbers  before  it  could 
be  occupied  with  safety.  He  expressed  the  hope 
of  being  able  to  get  this  room  ready  so  he  could 
commence  school  in  February,  1907. 

61 


62         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


When  Jacob  came  from  the  jungle  to  Schief- 
f elin  he  found  about  thirty  families  called  Amer- 
ico-Liberians.  They  were  the  descendants  of 
those  who  were  colonized  from  the  United  States 
in  1820.  Having  few  advantages,  they  had 
lapsed  toward  barbarism.  However,  he  found 
them  much  farther  advanced  than  those  near 
his  jungle  home.  Some  had  accepted  the  meager 
opportunities  for  education  furnished  by  the 
government  schools.  Some  of  the. better  fami- 
lies lived  in  cabins  covered  with  zinc  shipped 
from  England,  for  with  such  climatic  conditions 
this  was  the  best  material  for  that  purpose. 
Their  beds  were  mats  made  of  palm  fiber.  In 
some  cabins  there  were  seats  made  of  slabs.  The 
cabins  had  no  windows,  only  openings  with 
shutters.  Many  of  the  people  could  read  some, 
and  all  spoke  a  broken  English.  These  he  found 
eager  to  leani,  and  they  welcomed  him  into  their 
midst. 

What  must  have  been  Jacob  Kenoly's  condi- 
tion at  the  time  he  commenced  work  in  Schieffe- 
lin?  He  was  in  poor  health  and  his  clothes 
were  ragged.  He  had  been  with  the  naked  sav- 
ages for  a  whole  year  while  living  in  his  movm- 
tain  hut.  We  learn  of  their  naked  condition 
only  by  references  such  as  the  following:  "All 
the  boys  I  taught  in  tlie  jungle  would  come  to 
me,  only  I  would  have  to  put  clothes  on  them 
before  admitting  them  to  the  school  here."  The 


FIRST  YEAR  IN  SCHIEFFELIN  63 


only  chance  he  had  to  replenish  his  own  ward- 
robe was  by  working  two  weeks  at  the  "Cape." 
He  does  not  say  what  he  received  for  this  work. 
We  can  guess  his  appearance  as  he^  came  to  make 
arrangements  for  his  "private  school."  Mr. 
Lehman  had  the  honor  of  sending  him  the  first 
money  to  aid  him  in  his  work.  This  was  a  gift 
from  the  teachers  of  his  beloved  school  at  Ed- 
wards. He  acknowledged  the  gift  September  4, 
1906,  while  yet  back  in  his  jungle  hut.  "I  wish 
I  could  tell  you  how  glad  I  was  on  opening  your 
letter  to  find  eight  dollars  and  to  learn  that  you 
had  sent  ten  dollars  to  Monrovia.  I  wish  I  knew 
how  to  thank  the  people  to  my  owti  satisfaction, 
so  they  could  know  how  greatly  I  appreciate 
this,  but  I  can  not;  so  I  thank  God  for  people 
who  are  alive  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  I  pray 
that  He  may  bless  them  and  their  efforts  to 
uplift  fallen  humanity." 

How  many  must  have  been  his  personal  needs 
at  the  tim3  he  received  this  eighteen  dollars! 
And  yet,  speaking  of  it  in  another  letter,  he 
says :  "  It  was  indeed  a  great  help  to  me  in  many 
ways.  Since  then  I  have  been  able  to  get  nails 
and  lumber,  and  to  make  eight  very  good  seats, 
some  with  desks.  Eight  dollars  I  found  it  neces- 
sary to  use  for  myself.  I  have  not  been  able  to 
keep  the  necessary  things,  but  I  shall  not  grum- 
ble. I  have  tried  to  learn  to  do  all  things  with- 
out murmuring.   These  eight  seats  will  be  used 


64         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


in  the  school  which  I  hope  to  open  in  February." 
(This  was  the  Schieffelin  school  taught  in  the 
old  basement.)  "The  prospects  are,  there  will 
be  between  twenty-five  and  forty  pupils,  and 
most  of  them  will  be  Americo-Liberian  chil- 
dren. ' ' 

The  larger  part  of  the  first  money  gift  he 
received  was  used  for  his  beloved  work.  Here 
is  manifested  unselfishness  almost  beyond  the 
comprehension  of  many  in  this  land.  Does  not 
this  black  man  from  ^Missouri  in  unselfish  hero- 
ism lead  us  all?  Then,  in  March,  1907,  just 
when  he  was  opening  the  school  in  the  old  build- 
ing in  Schieffelin,  he  writes  to  J.  B.  Lehman 
concerning  another  gift  which  the  teachers  and 
students  of  the  Southern  Christian  Institute  had 
sent  him:  "With  your  letter  I  found  enclosed 
thirteen  dollars,  which,  I  learned,  was  given  by 
the  students  and  teachers  of  the  Southern  Chris- 
tian Institute  and  sent  as  a  Christmas  present 
to  me.  I  wrote  a  short  letter  in  reply  while  on 
my  way  to  J\Ionrovia;  but  having  returned,  I 
write  this.  I  can  not  find  words  to  express  my 
thanks  to  them  for  the  interest  they  show  in 
me  and  my  work.  All  of  them  are  poor  people, 
and  this  is  a  sacrifice  they  have  made.  God  bless 
those  dear  people  there !  The  present  came  just 
at  the  time  when  I  was  in  a  hard  place.  I  was 
praying  that  God  would  show  me  the  best  thing 
to  do.    Thirty-four  pupils  were  looking  to  me 


FIRST  YEAR  IN  SCHIEFFELIN  65 

to  see  what  arrangements  I  could  make  for  them 
in  school.  No  books,  not  enough  seats,  no  black- 
board! I  have  used  a  part  of  the  money  for 
my  own  needs  and  part  for  the  school.  It  was 
stretched  as  far  as  it  would  go.  I  will  enjoy 
my  Christmas  present  the  whole  year,  and  the 
community  will  help  me  to  enjoy  that  part  which 
was  spent  in  the  school.  School  opeded  in 
March.  I  purposed  to  open  in  February,  but 
on  account  of  the  rush  in  coffee-picking  and  be- 
cause I  was  expecting  some  books  from  the 
United  States  I  deferred.  The  books  have  not 
come  yet;  so  you  see  it  makes  the  work  more 
difficult." 

From  later  letters  we  learn  of  his  physical 
condition  at  the  time  of  getting  started  in  this 
work.  In  October,  1907,  he  writes  the  following : 

"I  have  great  pleasure  in  working  and  teach- 
ing and  preaching  among  my  people,  although 
my  health  has  not  been  very  good.  Not  having 
the  proper  protection,  I  have  often  been  exposed 
to  the  rains,  and  this  and  teaching  in  a  dark 
room  very  poorly  situated,  with  very  few  books, 
has  had  its  effect. 

**I  have  tried  to  be  faithful  in  spite  of  the 
adverse  circumstances.  I  have  been  so  pressed 
for  room  and  time  that  it  was  necessary  to  teach 
the  primary  classes  first  and  send  them  home, 
so  as  to  be  able  to  find  room  for  the  more  ad- 
vanced classes.  .  Some  of  the  advanced  pupils 


66         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


sometimes  assist  in  teaching  the  primary  grade 
and  have  been  helping  in  every  way  they  could. 
The  children  are  more  interested  than  the  par- 
ents, who  often  keep  them  out  to  work.  They 
sometimes  have  to  be  punished  by  the  parents 
because  they  leave  their  work  and  come  to  school 
when  school  hour  arrives. 

"When  I  began,  in  March,  everything  was 
very  dark.  I  did  not  think  I  v.ould  live  to  see 
December,  but  I  wanted  to  be  sure  that  I  had 
used  my  time  well  by  faithfully  doing  my  duty 
the  remaining  days  I  was  allowed  to  live,  and 
I  felt  the  presence  of  God  with  me." 

Again  he  writes:  "You  remember  that  on 
opening  the  school  here  everything  looked  ver>' 
dark  and  discouraging,  but  what  God  has  been 
pleased  to  do  through  His  people  in  the  United 
States  has  sent  a  flood  of  joy  into  this  place, 
and  since  the  darkness  has  been  moved,  I  have 
had  more  pleasure  in  doing  this  work  than  any 
which  I  have  undertaken.  I  did  not  think  at 
the  beginning  I  would  live  to  see  the  school 
close.  I  thought  it  well  to  be  faithful  the  few 
days  God  did  let  me  live." 

Dr.  Dye,  while  there,  heard  a  storj'  from  the 
people  concerning  Jacob's  illness  at  this  time 
which  he  (Jacob  Kenoly)  had  not  written  to  his 
friends.  He  was  very  sick  when  he  came  to 
Schieft'elin.  On  arriving  he  was  received  into 
the  home  of  a  well-to-do  colored  man ;  but  when 


FIRST  YEAE  IN  SCHIEFFELIN  67 


he  became  so  ill  that  it  seemed  death  was  near, 
he  was  cast  out  into  an  old  shed  with  no  one 
to  minister  unto  him.  A  kind-hearted  Americo- 
Liberian  by  the  name  of  Brown  came  to  the 
landing  with  his  dugout  and  carried  Jacob  in 
his  arms  to  his  boat  and  took  him  to  his  own 
home  and  nursed  him  back  to  comparative 
health.  This  story  is  recounted  both  to  tlirow 
light  on  what  Jacob  wrote  concerning  losing 
hopes  of  being  able  to  live  longer  and  to  com- 
memorate the  great  kindness  of  the  one  who 
cared  for  him  in  this  dark  hour. 

In  the  letter  referred  to  above  is  the  follow- 
ing: "I  have  not  had  many  idle  moments  since 
I  began.  Even  when  it  rained  so  I  could  not 
see  but  a  short  distance,  I  found  my  way  to 
school.  J  have  gone  when  I  would  not  have  got- 
ten out  of  bed  for  any  other  purpose.  The 
people  are  so  interested  in  the  school  that  they 
will  not  fail  to  come  under  any  circumstances 
the  weather  produces.  I  am  glad  I  have  been 
faithful.  I  have  worked  harder  this  year  than 
any  since  I  have  been  teaching.  I  have  noth- 
ing to  regret,  but  many  things  at  which  to  re- 
joice. ' ' 

A  Mr.  Lett  had  taken  him  into  his  own  home. 
This  was  only  a  small  cabin  home.  One  may 
imagine  what  chance  Jacob  had  for  study  or 
writing.  While  very  grateful  to  Mr.  Lett  for 
his  kindness,  the  conditions  at  this  time  were 


68         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


very  trying  to  his  health.  July  30,  1907,  after 
having  given  himself  and  school  a  two-weeks' 
vacation,  he  writes:  "The  light  in  the  building 
is  very  poor.  I  have  injured  my  eyes  some,  but 
I  have  been  refreshed  by  the  vacation. ' '  Again 
he  says :  "  I  have  a  full  school  now.  The  number 
has  increased  to  forty-five  day  pupils  and  six 
night-school  pupils.  We  are  packed  like  sar- 
dines in  this  dark  room.  When  we  have  a  clear 
day  and  the  sun  comes  out,  we  move  out  under 
a  large  mango-plum  tree  which  is  near  the  build- 
ing; but  we  do  not  have  many  nice  days  this 
time  of  the  season." 

The  pupils  were  poor  and  could  not  pay  for 
schooling,  so  that  probably  all  Jacob  got  this 
year  above  the  thirteen  dollars  sent  him  from  the 
Southern  Christian  Institute  was  a  very  little 
which  he  charged  for  teaching  vocal  music  and 
five  dollars  sent  him  at  this  time  for  a  black- 
board. He  says :  "I  do  not  get  anything  for  my 
services  as  teacher.  The  greater  number  of  pu- 
pils are  orphans  who  can  not  pay,  and  some 
others  are  poor;  so  I  give  them  this  year's 
schooling.  I  support  myself  with  those  large 
African  hands  which  helped  to  build  Allison 
HaU  at  the  Southern  Christian  Institute." 

Again  of  the  school  work  he  says:  "I  have 
had  to  take  one  of  the  advanced  pupils  to  assist 
with  the  primary  classes,  and  then  send  these 
classes  away  so  as  to  have  room  for  the  more 


FIRST  YEAR  IN  SCHIEFPELIN  69 


advanced  classes.  This  has  helped  me  wonder- 
fully. 

"The  music  class  is  greatly  interested  in  the 
chart.  Twenty  belong  to  the  class.  I  am  sur- 
pi'ised  at  the  progress  they  have  made.  Every 
one  sings.  We  practice  three  times  a  week  and 
can  now  sing  almost  any  ordinary  song  if  we 
have  the  music.  There  is  an  old  organ  near  here 
that  is  considerably  out  of  order.  If  I  can  do 
the  needed  repairing  on  it  I  will  begin  to  teach 
some  to  play.  This  will  have  its  effects  for 
good,  I  know." 

Soon  after  entering  upon  this  work  a  tempt- 
ing offer  came,  which  is  given  in  his  own  words : 
"Since  I  have  opened  school  the  government 
school  commissioner  has  come  to  see  me.  He 
offers  me  three  hundred  dollars  a  year  if  I  will 
break  up  here  and  go  where  he  would  send  me. 
The  Episcopal  Mission  has  been  trying  to  em- 
ploy me  to  go  down  the  coast.  I  do  not  see 
how  I  can  accept  either  of  these  offers.  The 
people  here  say:  'We  need  the  light  here  as 
badly  as  any  place,  and  you  must  not  leave  us 
in  the  dark.  We  cared  for  you  when  you  were 
going  through  the  fever,  so  you  can  not  go  any- 
where yet.'  " 

Jacob  did  not  accept  either  of  the  above  of- 
fers, although  they  must  have  been  tempting  in 
the  condition  he  was  then  in,  for  soon  after  this 
he  says  in  a  letter,  "I  will  be  glad  if  I  can  con- 


70         LIFE  OP  JACOB  KENOLT 


tinue  my  school  until  December,  yet  I  fear  lack 
of  clothes  and  my  many  other  necessities  will 
cause  me  to  stop  sooner." 

His  heart's  desire  was  ever  to  reach  the  wild 
man  back  in  the  "Bush."  So  here  in  this  dark 
basement  plans  were  formed  for  the  future.  He 
made  up  his  mind  to  build  a  home  for  himself 
where  he  could  be  in  the  dry,  make  temporary 
quarters  for  the  school,  then  to  erect  a  school 
building  in  which  he  could  teach  and  make  a 
home  for  his  wild  boys,  and  then  to  "make  a 
farm"  by  which  he  could  raise  supplies  for  his 
needy  children.  Surely,  Jacob,  great  is  thy 
hope  I  So  great  tliat  neither  poverty  nor  sick- 
ness nor  a  little  dark,  damp  room,  nor  the  slow 
response  to  thy  needs  by  friends  can  quench  it. 
Through  it  aU  thou  dost  see  the  naked  savages 
"clothed  and  in  their  right  mind,"  knowing 
God,  uplifted  and  freed  from  the  cruel  heathen 
practices. 

He  even  went  so  far  as  to  hope  some  of  his 
old  schoolmates  would  join  him  in  his  effort  to 
redeem  Liberia,  and  that  he  would  in  his  ovra 
lifetime  see  a  great  school  and  home  for  or- 
l)han  children.  Nevertheless  he  says:  "I  can, 
God  being  my  helper,  do  something  myself.  I 
cultivate  a  little  crop  evenings  and  mornings 
and  Saturdays — corn,  eddos,  casada,  and  peas. 
It  has  been  a  pleasure  to  see  how  well  they  have 
done  by  cultivation.  We  have  been  having  corn- 


FIRST  YEAE  IN  SCHIEFFELIN  71 


bread  since  I  have  gathered  the  corn.  It  has 
tended  to  improve  my  health.  We  have  a  poor 
way  of  getting  com  into  meal,  for  we  have  no 
mill  here  of  any  kind.  So  we  put  it  into  a  mor- 
tar and  with  a  pole  six  feet  long  churn  it  till 
it  becomes  meal  or  grits — a  very  slow  process. 
I  intend  to  'make'  a  large  com  farm  next  year. 
I  believe  I  can  get  a  hand-mill  with  which  to 
grind  corn  for  about  five  dollars.  I  hope  to 
have  several  more  boys  after  the  bmlding  is 
erected.  I  could  have  them  now  if  I  had  my 
own  house,  as  I  did  last  year."  The  house  to 
which  he  here  refers  was  his  mountain  hut  made 
of  poles. 

"I  have  many  things  planned  for  the  coming 
year.  I  do  not  see  how  I  can  get  through  it 
if  my  health  continues  to  be  as  poor  as  it  has 
been.  But  I  know  the  Lord  A^dll  provide  a  way ; 
so  I  mean  to  do  what  I  can,  and  leave  the  re- 
sults with  God. ' '  His  account  of  a  trip  to  Mon- 
rovia will  throw  some  light  on  what  it  meant 
to  live  and  work  in  that  place,  and  this  will  be 
all  the  comment  needed  on  his  having  said  that 
"he  had  never  worked  so  hard  any  year  since 
he  had  commenced  teaching." 

To  Mrs.  Ross  he  writes:  "I  received  your  let- 
ter just  before  coming  to  Monrovia.  I  am  writ- 
ing this  reply  here.  I  came  for  nails  for  my 
house.  I  wiU  soon  get  into  a  canoe  [a  log  'dug- 
out'] for  my  trip  to  Schieffelin.  There  will  be 
6 


72         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


about  four  hours'  run  [imagine  the  run  in  that 
old  log  boat]  on  the  ^lonserrado  River.  Then  a 
five-mile  Tvalk  across  an  'old  field'  [which,  we 
suppose,  was  at  one  time  the  floor  of  the  sea]. 
Then  we  take  a  canoe  on  the  Junk  River,  and 
about  four  hours  and  one-half  will  land  us  in 
Schieffelin."  This  reveals  that  a  "trip  to  Mon- 
rovia" cost  ten  hours  of  hard  labor  each  way. 
It  must  have  been  hard,  uideed,  for  him  in  his 
Aveakened  state. 

But  a  somewhat  brighter  day  daAraed  about 
this  time.  The  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Mis- 
sions had  adopted  him  as  one  of  its  missionaries. 
He  mentions  near  the  close  of  this  term  of  school 
of  having  received  fifty  dollars  from  the  Chris- 
tian "Woman's  Board  of  ^Missions.  He  says: 
"With  this  money  I  mean  to  get  the  land  sur- 
veyed which  the  government  has  promised  me 
for  the  school,  and  have  it  deeded  to  the 
Christian  Woman's  Board  of  ^Missions."  No 
thought  is  expressed  of  improving  his  o^vn  con- 
dition with  the  money  sent  him,  but  all  is  to 
be  used  for  his  school.  He  found,  on  going  to 
^Monrovia,  the  first  box  of  books  sent  him  from 
the  United  States.  In  the  box  were  twelve 
Bibles.  There  were  not  enough  to  go  around; 
so  some  pupils  were  disappointed. 

Again,  he  mentions  that  Mrs.  Barr  had  sent 
him  two  dollars  -with  which  to  purchase  a  Bible, 
but  he  found  a  better  one  ru  the  box  than  he 


FIRST  YEAR  IN  SCHIEFFELIN  73 


could  buy  there  with  that  amount.  So  he  used 
her  money  to  buy  lumber  for  the  new  house,  so 
she  might  have  part  in  that  also.  Without  a 
Bible  of  his  own  he  had  been  teaching  the  Word 
of  God  to  his  pupils  for  two  years  and  four 
months. 

Of  another  consignment  of  books  he  writes 
thus:  "After  searching  the  custom-house  at 
Monrovia  I  found  a  good  supply  of  books. ' '  We 
think  the  money  for  the  purchase  of  these  was 
furnished  by  the  New  York  State  Convention. 
He  says  of  these:  "Words  can  not  express  my 
gratitude  to  God  and  His  people  for  what  is 
done  for  this  work.  A  great  obstacle  has  been 
removed.  This  work  will  be  much  more  ef- 
fective now  that  we  have  the  books." 

His  expressions  of  gratitude  for  all  the  aid 
received  would  lead  one  to  think  "the  good 
friends  in  America  Avho  had  their  faces  turned 
tOAvard  Liberia"  were  doing  most  of  the  work. 
Picture,  then,  Jacob  Kenoly  at  this  time  making 
his  way  in  the  early  morning  in  ragged  clothing 
to  the  old  damp,  dark,  badly-ventilated  base- 
ment, often  through  rain  so  heavy  that  he  could 
see  but  a  little  way  before  his  face.  See  him 
teaching  the  primary  classes  in  the  forenoon 
and  the  more  advanced  classes  in  the  afternoon ; 
then  returning  at  night  to  teach  a  night  school 
and  a  singing  class,  teaching  Sunday  school  and 
preaching  as  he  had  opportunity,  cultivating  his 


74 


LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


farm  and  churning  the  corn  into  meal,  making 
the  many  necessary  trips  to  Marshall  and  [Mon- 
rovia, and  forming  plans  for  a  new  home  and 
school  building.  All  of  the  above,  and  more,  was 
rather  good  service  for  a  man  east  out  to  die 
at  the  beginning  of  the  year,  and  who  himself 
did  not  think  he  would  live  to  see  the  close  of 
that  term  of  school. 

Some  incidents  are  now  added  which  form  a 
part  of  this  period.  To  Mrs.  Ross  he  wrote: 
"We  had  our  Sunday  school  under  a  large 
orange  tree  last  Sunday  evening.  It  reminded 
me  of  the  days  I  spent  at  the  Southern  Chris- 
tian Institute.  You  were  not  here,  though  I 
had  your  picture  before  me.  I  told  them  how 
you  used  to  make  the  outdoor  Sunday  evening 
lessons  interesting. 

"It  makes  me  very  sad  to  read  of  the  awful 
destruction  (by  the  earthquake)  in  Jamaica.  I 
am  glad  relief  has  been  sent  to  them  by  God's 
chosen  people.  You  can  say,  on  receiving  this, 
that  somewhere  across  the  Atlantic  in  the  jun- 
gles of  Africa,  in  the  basement  of  a  dilapidated 
old  building,  that  every  morning  before  school 
hours  we  pray  for  Jamaica  and  ask  God's  bless- 
ing on  the  friends  of  the  United  States  and  on 
our  work  here. ' '  Later,  on  hearing  of  the  death 
of  Miss  Ella  Ewing,  a  missionary  to  Bolenge, 
Africa,  he  writes: 


FIRST  YEAR  IN  SCHIEFFELIN  75 


"I  liavc  read  about  the  death  of  Miss  Ella 
Ewing,  wlic/  gave  her  life  for  the  people  at  Bo- 
lenge.  It  was  very  sad  to  think  that  we  could 
lose  one  as  devoted  to  those  people  of  Bolenge 
as  she  was.  This  proves  that  the  love  of  God 
is  stronger  than  death." 

The  writer  ventures  the  assertion  that  there 
is  nothing  more  touching  in  all  missionary  his- 
tory than  this.  Think  of  him  there  in  such 
wretched  surroundings,  himself  in  ragged  cloth- 
ing, praying  first  for  suffering  Jamaica,  then  for 
friends  in  the  United  States,  and  last  for  them- 
selves, and  then  especially  remembering  the  one 
who  had  given  her  beautiful  life  for  Africa. 
Surely  this  black  man  has  not  only  taught  us 
the  practical  in  religion,  but  also  the  "beauty 
of  holiness." 

At  one  period  he  greatly  needed  and  desired 
a  blackboard.  Mrs.  Ross  and  some  friends  sent 
him  some  money  for  this,  and  he  says:  "All  of 
us  exclaim  that  this  is  the  blessing  of  God.  The 
pupils  had  rather  see  this  blackboard  than  any- 
thing in  the  school  because  God  has  given  it  to 
them  through  His  people.  It  is  all  but  wor- 
shiped by  the  students. ' '  And  again  :  ' '  The  pu- 
pils calls  it  'America,'  and  every  one  wants  to 
work  on  the  American  blacklward.  This  helps 
wonderfully  in  my  work.  So  you  see  wliat  sun- 
shine came  into  our  schoolroom  hy  this  gift. ' ' 


76         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


God  bless  him!  he  even  got  sunshine  out  of 
a  blackboard,  because  by  it  he  could  help  elevate 
the  people. 

In  summing  up  all  his  blessings  and  aid  for 
the  year  lie  adds,  "I  am  very  grateful  to  know 
that  I  shall  have  the  privilege  of  spending  my 
life  for  Christ's  cause  in  Liberia." 


CHAPTER  VI 


THE  FIRST  BUILDING  ERECTED  AND 
INCIDENTS  CONNECTED  WITH  THE 
GROWTH  OF  THE  WORK 

While  teaching  in  the  old  basement  Jacob  had 
longed  for  a  better  place  in  which  to  teach  and 
for  a  home  of  his  own.  He  said  that  if  he  had 
his  own  dwelling-house  he  could  take  the  jungle 
boys,  for  he  could  keep  them  with  him;  and 
from  what  we  have  learned  in  the  preceding 
chapter  of  the  place  in  which  he  taught,  we  will 
not  be  surprised  that  he  longed  for  a  better 
place  in  which  to  care  for  his  school. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  year  in  which  he 
taught  in  the  old  basement,  he  writes :  "  I  mean 
to  build  a  house  for  myself  as  soon  as  school  is 
out.  I  have  been  staying  with  Mr,  Lett,  a  mer- 
chant in  Liberia,  this  year.  I  wish  to  have  my 
own  place,  where  I  can  have  a  better  opportu- 
nity to  study.  This  will  be  an  advantage  in 
many  ways." 

Before  he  could  commence  this  house  where 
he  hoped  to  live  and  found  a  great  school,  he 
77 


78         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


must  determine  upon  the  most  suitable  location. 
Naturall.y  the  people  Avished  this  located  in  the 
midst  of  the  settlement,  so  the  smaller  children 
could  attend  even  when  the  rains  would  be 
heaviest.  Jacob's  choice  of  a  location,  however, 
was  a  rolling  piece  of  ground  commanding  a 
view  of  the  ocean,  about  two  miles  from  the  set- 
tlement and  three  miles  from  the  river. 

Writing  of  his  reasons  for  selecting  this  site, 
he  says :  "  I  built  outside  of  the  settlement,  first, 
because  there  are  many  things  which  are  carried 
on  in  the  village  which  would  be  detrimental. 
Second,  I  could  not  get  enough  land  on  which 
to  carry  on  the  work ;  and  if  I  should  keep  stock, 
that  would  trouble  my  neighbors.  And  third, 
out  here  we  have  good  Avater  and  the  sea 
breeze. ' ' 

Writing  toward  the  close  of  liis  first  year  in 
Schielfelin  he  says:  "I  intend  to  have  the  land 
survej-ed.  It  will  cost  about  twenty  dollars' 
merchandise  to  have  the  surveyor  come  and  sur- 
vey the  land  and  get  a  deed  for  it.  It  will  be 
about  two  miles  from  the  little  village  and  about 
one-half  mile  from  the  nearest  house.  I  like  this 
place  on  account  of  the  water.  There  are  three 
springs  which  run  through  the  longest  'dries' 
[drj'  season],  and  the  sea  breeze  will  be  accept- 
able and  tend  to  keep  the  atmosphere  pure." 

Again  he  says:  "I  want  to  begin  teaching  in 
April  at  least,  if  I  can  possibly  get  ready.  There 


FIRST  BUILDING  ERECTED  79 


are  thousands  o£  acres  of  'old  field,'  excellent 
for  stock-raising,  near  the  land  I  will  have  for 
the  school,  and  as  it  will  be  partly  an  industrial 
school  I  shall  teach  the  art  of  cultivating  the 
soil,  stock  and  poultry  raising,  as  well  as  the 
literary  studies.  The  former  is  very  badly 
needed  in  this  part.  I  mean  to  break  steers  to 
work,  to  relieve  the  natives  of  their  burdens. 

"I  shall  expect  some  of  the  boys  and  girls 
to  come  from  the  Southern  Christian  Institute 
by  and  by.  I  am  sure  there  is  no  telling  what 
God  Avill  do  for  my  people  if  they  will  do  all 
they  can  to  help  themselves.  I  remember  that 
when  the  soles  of  the  priests'  feet  touched  the 
waters  of  the  Jordan  the  waters  were  divided 
because  they  had  gone  as  far  as  they  could. 
Then  God  helped  them  to  do  what  they  could 
not  do  alone.  We  can  always  see  what  He  will 
do  for  us  when  we  do  all  we  can  for  ourselves 
first." 

Of  what  value  even  his  short  stay  will  mean 
to  that  whole  section  from  the  industrial  stand- 
point, no  one  can  say.  He  developed  many  new 
sources  of  supplies  for  the  poor  people  there. 
Building  his  house !  Of  building  in  general  he 
writes  thus:  "We  can  not  move  here  as  we  do 
in  the  United  States.  We  must  have  some  one 
to  saw  all  the  lumber  by  hand  out  in  the  woods. 
[We  learn  the  method  of  procedure  in  sawing 
was  to  fell  a  tree  across  other  trees  or  logs,  and 


80         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


then  one  man  would  stand  above  and  one  be- 
low, and  with  a  cross-cut  saw  make  lumber.] 
This  lumber  is  carried  on  the  heads  of  the  men 
out  of  the  forest  to  the  place  of  building.  Then 
3^ou  must  prepare  this  lumber  for  use  with  the 
plane  and  saw.  You  must  have  the  money  be- 
fore the  sawyers  will  commence  work.  Most  of 
the  sawyers  are  natives."  This  description  re- 
ferred more  to  the  building  of  his  schoolhouse, 
for,  as  we  learn  from  his  letters,  he  did  nearly 
all  the  work  on  his  own  dwelling  with  his  own 
hands  in  the  midst  of  other  labors  abundant. 

He  wrote  thus,  ]\Iarch,  1908:  "I  have  been 
very  busy  with  my  house  and  farm.  As  you  see 
I  have  used  my  vacation  at  hard  work.  The 
roof  of  my  house  was  shingled  last  week.  You 
must  know  I  am  very  proud  of  my  new  house. 
It  is  a  two-story  house,  twenty  by  sixteen  feet, 
with  a  piazza  eight  feet  wide  and  twenty  feet 
long.  I  have  gotten  everything  for  this  building 
out  of  the  forest  excepting  the  nails.  It  has 
thus  made  me  look  very  lean,  not  having  the 
proper  food  for  such  work." 

He  was,  no  doubt,  too  busy  to  even  prepare 
the  meal  in  the  mortar  for  his  one  luxury,  which 
would  be  cornbread  without  butter. 

"I  thank  the  Lord  for  a  mind  to  build,  and 
now  I  have  a  nice  dry  place  in  which  to  live, 
and  from  my"  room  I  can  see  the  ships  passing 
from  Monrovia  to  Marshall." 


FIRST  BUILDING  ERECTED  81 


And  again :  ' '  Just  now  I  am  busy  working  on 
my  house,  which  will  be  completed  in  about  three 
weeks.  I  cut  the  frame  out  of  the  woods,  and 
with  a  frow  made  the  shingles  for  the  roof.  I 
learned  to  make  shingles  in  the  United  States  be- 
fore I  went  to  the  Southern  Christian  Institute. 
My  house  is  sixteen  by  twenty  feet,  and  two 
stories  high.  I  am  somewhat  disappointed  in 
the  time  of  completing  it.  We  can  not  come  up 
to  our  expectation,  especially  when  we  have  to 
be  horse,  wagon,  and  driver.  I  do  n 't  fancy  be- 
ing the  wagon  when  the  sun  shines  as  it  does 
here." 

Later  he  writes:  "I  am  now  living  in  my 
house  on  the  beach.  A  very  beautiful  location 
it  is.  We  are  having  a  very  busy  time  in  school 
now,  though  the  rains  are  so  heavy  that  the  little 
ones  who  attended  last  year  have  not  been  able 
to  walk  the  distance,  but  we  have  a  houseful 
every  day.  Our  present  number  is  thirty-seven, 
and  more  are  preparing  to  come  from  this  and 
other  settlements." 

This  house  in  its  beautiful  location  was  the 
first  sided  and  shingled  house  in  all  that  part 
of  Liberia  and  was  a  great  curiosity  to  the  peo- 
ple. It  was  the  first  time  since  coming  to  the 
land  that  he  had  a  dry  place  in  which  to  teach 
and  sleep.  This  building  he  had  taken  from 
the  forest  with  his  own  hands,  his  only  tools  be- 
ing an  ax  and  frow.    This  truly  illustrates  the 


83 


LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


value  of  his  industrial  training;  yet  with  that 
training  lie  coupled  most  wonderful  persever- 
ance amid  difficult  surroundings. 

It  was  at  this  time  he  named  and  began  call- 
ing his  school  the  Liberian  Christian  Institute, 
making  the  name  as  nearly  like  that  of  the 
Southern  Christian  Institute  as  possible. 

In  a  letter  written  the  writer  the  day  after 
Christmas,  1908,  we  find  the  following:  "Since 
I  received  yonr  last  letter  I  have  been  waiting  to 
receive  the  things  which  you  informed  me  had 
been  sent.  I  am  very  proud  to  say  that  I  re- 
ceived them  all  yesterday  at  ^Marshall ;  the  books, 
the  tools,  the  sewing  machine,  gun,  and  ammu- 
nition; and  what  was  more  pleasing  to  me,  I 
found  that  nothing  was  damaged.  Everything 
was  well  packed.  I  am  very  thankful  to  my 
Heavenly  Fatlier  and  to  you  for  these  articles. 
They  will  be  of  great  value  to  the  work.  Will 
you  please  accept  my  thanks  for  them?  though 
I  can  not  express  how  grateful  I  feel;  but  the 
Lord  knows.  The  sewing  machine  is  a  very 
fine  one,  and  the  only  one  of  the  kind  in  these 
parts.  I  am  well  pleased  with  the  gun.  It  is 
also  a  very  fine  one  and  exactly  right  for  con- 
ditions here.  I  have  learned  the  combination 
and  tried  it  once  and  killed  three  pigeons." 
And  then  he  adds:  "I  found  in  the  machine- 
drawers  lead  pencils,  pen  points,  crayon,  thread, 
and  hand  needles,  as  your  letter  indicated.  It 


FIRST  BUILDING  ERECTED  83 


was  certainly  thoughtful  in  you  to  remember 
that  these  articles  are  needed  so  badly  in  this 
country.  There  are  so  many  things  we  need  that 
I  only  speak  of  some  we  can  not  well  do  with- 
out." 

In  one  of  his  letters  Jacob  had  written  con- 
cerning the  things  he  could  raise  on  his  farm, 
and  adds :  "  I  could  raise  cattle  also,  but  I  would 
have  to  have  a  gun  to  keep  the  leopards  off." 

As  he,  in  another  letter,  tells  of  several  natives 
near  who  had  been  killed  by  the  leopards,  one 
would  have  thought  he  would  have  asked  for 
a  gun  to  keep  the  leopards  off  of  Jacob.  Not 
so;  he  wished  a  gun  to  protect  the  cattle.  This 
letter  was  read  to  a  friend,  who  sent  him  a  fine 
breech-loader  Winchester  and  four  hundred 
rounds  of  ammunition. 

In  one  of  his  letters  he  throws  light  on  the 
question  of  their  meat  supply.  In  the  wet  sea- 
son, during  the  time  his  school  is  in  session,  from 
Api'il  to  January,  the  floods  drive  the  game  out 
to  higher  ground  toward  the  settlements.  But 
in  the  dry  season  (when  he  was  always  doing 
hard,  manual  work,  "making"  his  farms  and 
erecting  his  buildings)  the  game  returns  to  its 
haunts,  and  hence  was  hard  to  get;  and  so  he 
wrote,  "I  have  not  proper  food  to  sustain  me, 
as  the  smoke-house  is  empty."  From  this  time 
on  he  has  his  gun  and  writes,  "Sometimes  it 
furnishes  a  squirrel  to  add  to  my  diet;"  and 


84         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


speaking  of  its  use :  ' '  ^Ir.  Lett  and  I  shot  a  large 
snake  [which  had  captured  one  of  his  sheep] 
which  measured  twenty-one  feet  in  length.  One 
was  shot  last  week  which  had  killed  a  large  dog. 
They  sometimes  attack  people  also,  and  calves 
and  other  small  animals." 

When  James  Rundles  came  from  Jacob's  mis- 
sion to  the  Southern  Christian  Institute  he 
brought  with  him  the  skin  of  the  snake  killed 
by  Jacob  and  IVIr.  Lett,  and  this  skin,  without 
the  head,  measured  eigliteen  feet. 

Later  he  writes  that  the  gun  had  been  a  great 
help  to  the  work,  and  he  told  of  having  killed 
four  deer  and  great  amount  of  small  game, 
and  stated  that  his  ammunitiou  was  just  fin- 
ished. A  new  supply  was  at  once  sent  him  by 
the  friend  who  sent  the  gun. 

It  was  told  at  one  time  in  a  meeting  what 
Jacob  had  said  about  wishing  to  take  the  wild 
boys  of  the  jungle  into  his  school,  but  that  he 
would  have  to  clothe  them ;  and  about  his  having 
said  that  there  were  girls  in  his  school  who 
could  learn  to  sew  on  a  sewing-machine  if  they 
had  one,  and  that  then  clothes  could  be  made 
for  these  boys.  Mrs.  Holbrook,  then  of  Onawa, 
Iowa,  gave  money  with  which  to  have  purchased 
and  sent  to  Jacob  a  sewing-machine.  This  is 
the  sewing-machine  referred  to  as  part  of  the 
box  received  at  Christmas.  Later  he  writes  of 
this :  * '  The  sewing-machine  has  also  been  a  great 


FIRST  BUILDING  ERECTED  85 


help  to  the  work,  for  clothing  had  to  be  made 
for  all  the  native  boys." 

Of  the  Christmas  time  of  this  year,  1908,  the 
first  one  after  he  was  in  his  little  house  on  the 
beach,  he  writes  to  Mrs.  Ross:  "Yesterday  was 
Christmas  day.  Judge  "Walker  and  family  spent 
the  day  at  the  beach.  We  had  prayer-meeting 
in  the  morning,  and  a  talk  on  the  meaning  of 
Christmas.  The  people  here  do  not  have  any- 
thing which  seems  like  a  Christmas  day.  We 
had  green  corn,  which  I  gathered  on  my  farm 
that  day.  I  have  quite  a  lot  of  dry  corn,  but 
I  did  not  succeed  in  getting  a  little  corn-mill  to 
make  it  into  meal ;  so  we  will  continue  the 
process  of  beating  with  a  pestle." 

In  the  midst  of  his  school  work  this  year  he 
was  again  taken  down  with  the  fever.  He  says : 
"For  some  days  I  was  not  able  to  be  about  my 
work.  I  think  it  was  a  return  of  the  African 
fever.  I  am  told  it  will  return  every  time  I 
am  exposed  too  much  to  the  sun  or  rain." 

His  closing  labors  for  the  year  are  thus  men- 
tioned: "I  am  getting  out  the  frame  of  our 
new  schoolhouse,  which  will  be  a  two-story  build- 
ing, twenty-five  by  forty  feet.  I  want  to  make 
it  large  enough,  so  I  can  accommodate  in  the 
upper  story  twenty-five  or  thirty  boys.  [Be- 
fore he  closed  his  life-work  he  kept  fifty-one 
boys  in  this  upper  story.]  I  am  not  pleased  with 
the  slow  progress  I  make  on  this,  but  I  must  be 


86 


LIFE  OF  JACOB  KEXOLY 


thankful  for  what  I  am  able  to  do.  You  see  I 
teach  every  day  but  Saturday,  and  it  is  only 
evenings  and  mornings  and  Saturdays,  when 
the  rain  is  not  too  heavy,  that  I  can  work  on 
the  building."  Later  he  Amtes:  "We  have  now 
all  the  timbers  out  for  our  new  school  building. 
We  have  been  cutting  the  frame;  but  since  the 
tools  have  come  we  can  all  devote  our  spare  time 
to  this,  and  it  will  soon  be  finished.  I  will  be 
glad  if  I  can  get  the  nails  soon,  as  I  can  not  put 
the  frame  together  without  them." 

He  here  describes  the  close  of  school  and  his 
vacation:  "]\Iy  school  closed  three  weeks  ago. 
Forty-eight  pupils  went  home  to  await  the  open- 
ing of  a  new  term  of  school  in  April.  I  took  one 
Aveek's  vacation,  in  which  I  paid  a  visit  to  Con- 
ersburg,  which  is  one  day's  walk  toward  the  in- 
terior. It  is  an  old  settlement  of  Americo- 
Liberiaus.  Wliile  there  I  met  several  native 
kings,  who  say  they  (each)  Avant  to  put  a  boy 
in  school  next  year.  From  all  I  can  learn,  all 
the  neighboring  settlements  will  be  i-epre- 
sented."   This  prediction  was  fulfilled. 

At  this  period  is  his  first  mention  of  fishing. 
"I  have  succeeded  in  getting  a  smaU  float-net 
from  a  man  in  Marshall.  The  boys  have  caught 
a  lot  of  nice  fish  from  the  lake  (though  it  is 
more  of  a  sound  than  a  lake).  It  is  about  eight 
miles  long.  If  I  had  a  small  seine  we  would 
not  want  for  meat."   A  little  later  a  seine  net 


riRST  BUILDING  ERECTED  87 


was  sent  to  him,  and  another  shortly  before  his 
death. 

He  now  speaks  of  the  progress  of  his  work 
and  in  one  letter  tells  of  his  singing  class  of 
twenty.  He  had  been  to  Monrovia  and  searched 
the  town  for  note-books,  but  could  find  only  six. 
He  says,  "The  pupils  have  learned  all  the  four 
parts,  and  we  make  the  jungle  ring  with  the 
Jubilee  songs,  but  they  have  nearly  stretched 
their  necks  off  trying  to  sing  from  the  six 
books. ' '  What  a  picture !  Twenty  scholars  with 
the  six  note-books,  and  with  one  little  kerosene 
lamp  for  light,  yet  making  the  jungle  ring  with 
the  Jubilee  songs !  One  boy  always  wanted  to 
sing  "Beulah  Land,"  because  Jacob  had  told 
him  so  much  of  "Mt.  Beulah,"  the  name  of  the 
plantation  at  the  Southern  Christian  Institute. 
I  read  this  letter  to  a  friend  and  he  exclaimed : 
"There  is  nothing  since  the  days  of  the  apostles 
to  equal  that  boy.  Send  him  at  once  at  my 
expense  seventy-five  'Jubilee  Song  Books'  and 
seventy-five  New  Testaments."  When  Jacob 
got  the  news  that  the  books  were  on  the  way,  he 
writes:  "We  look  forward  to  the  time  when  the 
song  books  will  be  in  the  school.  They  will 
greatly  add  to  the  interest.  Thank  the  Lord 
for  such  glorious  results  from  faithful  ones." 
In  Jacob's  conception  the  "faithful  ones"  were 
bringing  most  of  the  results.  "I  can  not  find 
words  to  thank  you  to  my  satisfaction.  I  will 
7 


88         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLT 


try  to  be  faithful  and  leave  tlie  results  with 
God." 

A  letter  was  written  to  him  commending  him 
for  his  heroic  work  in  which  it  was  told  him 
that  if  he  would  make  known  his  personal  needs 
many  would  be  glad  to  have  part  in  supplying 
them.  This  letter  came  to  him  near  the  time  of 
opening  his  own  house  and  at  a  time  of  dire 
need.  Yet  this  is  his  reply:  "I  make  it  a  rule 
never  to  ask  anything  for  myself.  I  feel  as 
though  as  much  of  self  must  be  left  out  of  this 
work  as  possible.  I  would  be  very  glad,  though, 
if  at  this  time  I  could  get  a  mosquito-bar  for 
my  bed,  as  I  can  not  get  one  here." 

At  another  time  to  a  similar  request  he  had 
written:  "I  ask  not  for  self.  It  is  enough  joy 
just  to  work  for  Christ."  One  always  felt  re- 
buked on  receiving  one  of  his  letters,  though 
Jacob  never  meant  that  this  should  be.  He  had 
learned  at  the  Southern  Christian  Institute  that 
the  bite  of  a  certain  kind  of  mosquito  introduced 
into  the  blood  a  germ  which  caused  malarial 
fever.  After  using  the  mosquito-bar  for  a  time, 
he  writes  that  he  had  not  had  a  return  of  the 
fever  since  he  had  had  his  bed  protected  by  the 
bar.  He  did  in  this  letter,  however,  ask  for 
one-half  dozen  Physiologies  and  one-half  dozen 
"United  States  Histories"  and  a  "Webster's 
Dictionary."  Shortly  before  this  he  received  a 
letter  and  seven  dollars  from  Mrs.  Ross,  which 


FIRST  BUILDING  ERECTED  89 


she  sent  the  last  of  November,  1907.  In  reply- 
he  writes:  "Your  good  letter  dated  November 
30th  came  to  hand  yesterday.  I  was  truly  glad 
to  have  a  letter  from  you  and  know  that  God 
had  blessed  you  with  good  health  while  you 
have  been  engaged  in  doing  what  has  pleased 
Him. 

"I  have  always  felt  that  you  were  a  blessing 
to  all  who  came  in  touch  with  you.  While  at 
the  Southern  Christian  Institute  all  of  the  stu- 
dents expressed  themselves  as  being  of  the  same 
mind.  It  is  a  great  pleasure  for  one  to  know 
of  people  who  use  every  opportunity  for  good. 

"I  have  read  your  letter  three  times.  The 
students  are  all  anxious  to  know  what  Mrs.  Ross 
said.  I  also  found  inclosed  seven  dollars  which 
you  wished  me  to  use  for  my  own  comfort  and 
which  I  learned  was  sent  to  me  by  friends  who 
are  deeply  interested  in  me  and  the  work  here. 
I  do  not  know  how  to  thank  you  or  them  for 
the  great  interest  which  crosses  so  much  land 
and  water  to  reach  this  place.  I  can  but  say, 
'Praise  God,  from  whom  all  blessings  flow.'  It 
seems  He  told  the  friends  over  there  that  I 
needed  clothes  and  shoes.  I  had  patched  my 
shoes  until  I  could  not  patch  them  more.  Now 
I  thank  the  Lord  for  His  blessings.  The  Lord 
told  you  of  my  need.  [The  Lord  was  always 
counted  in  with  Jacob.]  The  best  way  to  show 
my  gratitude  is  by  showing  how  faithful  I  can 


90         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


be.  I  am  afraid  I  can  not  come  up  to  what  you 
might  expect,  though  I  mean  to  do  the  best  I 
can  and  leave  the  results  v;ith  God."  His 
thanks  for  the  seven  dollars  is  characteristic. 
Then  we  would  never  have  known  of  his  great 
need  and  the  condition  of  his  clothing  at  this 
time  if  it  had  not  been  for  his  desire  to  thank 
the  friends  far  across  the  sea  for  their  gift. 
Then,  and  not  till  then,  we  learn  of  the  "shoes 
patched  till  he  could  not  patch  them  more." 
Yet,  as  the  cheapest  shoes  he  could  buy  cost  him 
four  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  there  was  left  the 
enormous  sum  of  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  for 
his  other  needs.  One  would  have  thought,  from 
our  standpoint,  that  he  would  have  thought  the 
Lord  was  very  moderate  in  His  representation 
of  needs.  It  is  also  to  be  remembered,  in  order 
to  get  the  full  force  of  this,  that  at  this  time 
he  had  in  his  possession  the  fifty  dollars,  first 
installment  from  the  Christian  Woman's  Board 
of  Missions.  But  he  felt  that  this  must  not  be 
used  for  himself. 

When  Jacob  was  working  on  his  little  house, 
and  shoi'tly  before  he  moved  into  it,  he  received 
this  first  money  from  the  Board.  He  says,  writ- 
ing to  J.  B.  Lehman  under  date  of  November 
20,  1907:  "The  day  I  received  your  letter  one 
came  to  me  from  the  president  of  the  Christian 
Woman's  Board  of  IMissions  saying  that  they 


FIRST  BUILDING  ERECTED  91 


had  sent  fifty  dollars  to  me  the  day  before.  I 
have  been  to  the  office  in  Monrovia  and  found 
the  same.  I  mean  to  get  the  land  surveyed  and 
the  deed  first.  I  shall  try  to  get  a  government 
gift  of  one  hundred  acres  of  land  for  tlie  school. 
I  am  told  that  it  is  possible.  Then  there  will 
be  room  for  great  things  to  be  accomplished, 

* '  I  have  not  used  any  of  the  money  yet,  though 
I  mean  to  use  some  to  have  the  land  surveyed, 
and  then  I  will  get  the  tools  needed  to  build 
the  schoolhouse.  I  will  have  to  oi-der  the  zinc 
as  soon  as  possible,  so  as  to  give  time  for  it  to 
get  here  by  the  time  we  are  ready  for  it." 

He  must  pay  for  the  survey  of  the  land  and 
pay  for  the  deed,  and  hire  sawyers  to  saw  out 
timbers  for  this  schoolhouse.  For  himself  he 
used  but  little,  even  though  he  had  many  needs. 
Even  the  seven  dollars  would  not  have  been  used 
for  himself  if  he  had  not  been  told  that  friends 
had  sent  it  for  his  own  personal  needs.  He  might 
have  written  something  in  this  fashion :  "  I  have 
now  been  in  this  country  two  years  and  six 
months  trying  to  bring  the  Good  News  to  Liberia. 
I  have  been  sick  many  months,  often  near  to 
death.  I  lost  all  and  am  working  hard  for  this 
people.  I  have  had  no  chance  to  restore  my 
loss.  You  Christian  people  are  living  in  com- 
parative luxury,  while  I  suffer  with  hunger. 
You  are  warmly  clothed,  while  I  am  in  rags; 


93 


LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLT 


so  I  would  be  glad  if  you  would  come  to  my  re- 
lief, and  that  quickly."  No  such  thoughts  ever 
entered  the  mind  of  Jacob.  When  he  received 
seven  dollars  he  wrote,  "God  told  you  of  my 
need."  Why  did  he  not  use  part  of  the  fifty 
dollars  sent  him  by  the  Christian  Woman's 
Board  of  Missions,  which  he  had  in  his  posses- 
sion all  the  time,  to  supply  some  of  his  personal 
needs?  He  had  not  time  at  this  period  to  even 
pound  the  meal  to  make  corn-bread  to  give  him 
health  and  strength.  This  man's  desire  was  so 
great  to  bring  the  gospel  to  Africa  that  he  will- 
ingly suffered  great  privation  to  accomplish  this 
great  end  and  bring  Christ  to  the  people  who 
knew  Him  not. 

Jacob  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Liberian  Republic,  and  ia  letters 
written  at  this  period  he  speaks  of  this:  "I  am 
well  acquainted  with  President  Barclay.  He  is  a 
very  fine  man,  I  understand  that  he  is  an  Eng- 
lish subject  by  birth,  but  that,  he  was  raised  in 
this  country. ' '  And  again :  "  I  have  been  to  the 
mansion  and  had  a  talk  with  President  Barclay. 
This  is  a  very  critical  period  with  our  country. 
Liberia  is  indebted  to  England  for  a  good  sum 
of  money,  and  England  threatens  to  take  the  ter- 
ritory if  the  sum  can  not  be  raised.  The  govern- 
ment has  sent  ambassadors  to  the  United  States 
to  see  if  it  can  borrow  money.    We  learned 


FIRST  BUILDING  ERECTED 


93 


that  they  had  reached  Washington  a  short  time 
ago,  but  we  can  not  tell  what  the  success  wiU  be. ' ' 
Jacob  also  wrote  at  different  times  of  up- 
risings and  wars  between  the  different  native 
tribes,  and  of  one  such  in  and  around  Schieffelin, 
where  many  were  killed. 


CHAPTER  VII 


THE  ERECTION  OF  THE  SCHOOL  BUILD- 
ING AND  THE  WORK  OP  THE  TWO 
YEARS  FOLLOWING 

Ever  since  Jacob  Kenoly  had  determined  to 
make  Sehieffclin  his  permanent  home  he  had 
been  planning  for  a  school  building.  He  wrote 
of  his  need,  and  as  a  result  the  Christian 
Woman 's  Board  of  ilissions  decided  to  help  him. 
The  Iowa  ^Missionary  Societies,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Miss  Annette  Newcomer,  secretary,  asked 
the  privilege  of  raising  one  thousand  dollars  for 
this  work  in  Africa.  The  writer  went  to  Iowa 
and  assisted  ia  raising  this  fund.  From  the  time 
]\Iiss  Newcomer  first  heard  of  Jacob  Kenoly  and 
his  work  in  Liberia  to  the  close  of  his  bfe  she 
was  his  true  friend  and  loyal  supporter  not  only 
in  leading  the  noble  women  co-workers  in  Iowa 
in  gi\dng  to  support  his  cause,  but  personally 
doing  much  to  make  his  way  brighter,  and  for 
what  she  did  he  ever  held  her  in  grateful  re- 
membrance. 

The  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  ^fissions 
sent  the  following  message  to  Jacob  Kenoly,  De- 
cember 10,  1907:  "In  our  annual  Board  meet- 
9i 


SCHOOL  BUILDING  ERECTED  95 


ing  held  in  Norfolk,  Virginia,  the  members  of 
our  Board  decided  to  aid  you  in  your  work  of 
establishing  a  Christian  mission  school  in  Mar- 
shall. We  are  in  correspondence  with  an  Eng- 
lish hardware  dealer,  and  hope  to  be  able  to 
send  you  the  carpenter's  tools  you  will  need  for 
the  building  of  the  schoolhouse. 

"May  you  ever  remember  that  you  do  not 
work  alone,  but  that  you  work  with  God,  and 
that  j^our  brethren  and  friends  in  the  homeland 
are  remembering  you  and  praying  for  you." 

The  following  February  the  Board  sent  one 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars  to  be  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  schoolhouse  and  home,  and 
twenty-five  dollars  for  the  education  of  one  of 
the  boys. 

A  little  later  the  following  encouraging  word 
was  sent:  "We  shall  be  ready  always  to  answer 
your  letters  and  shall  always  be  glad  to  hear 
from  you  and  to  know  of  the  progress  of  your 
work.  The  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Mis- 
sions, which  has  tried  to  do  a  good  work  for 
your  people  at  Edwards,  Mississippi ;  at  Lum, 
Alamaba;  at  Martinsville,  Virginia,  and  at 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  by  evangelistic  work 
in  many  States,  hopes  to  be  able  to  do  good  for 
your  people  in  Africa." 

From  the  time  the  Christian  Woman's  Board 
of  Missions  took  Jacob  Kenoly  as  one  of  its  mis- 
sionaries and  his  work  as  one  of  its  mission 


96         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


fields,  it  sent  to  him  three  hundred  dollars  a 
year.  In  regard  to  this  we  have  the  followuig 
statement  from  the  Board:  "Correspondence 
was  carried  on  with  various  missionary  organi- 
zations working  in  Africa,  and  information  was 
secured  that  three  hundred  dollars  a  year  is  the 
amount  generally  paid  to  those  rendering  this 
kind  of  service  under  Boards  there;  therefore 
this  amoiint  was  fixed  as  the  salary  for  Jacob 
Kenoly." 

A  letter  to  the  friends  in  Iowa  comes  into  this 
period.  As  it  gives  such  an  all-aroiind  picture 
of  Jacob's  life  and  work  it  is  quoted  almost  in 
its  entirety:  "I  am  very  thankful  to  my  Heav- 
enly Father  for  the  members  of  the  Christian 
Woman's  Board  of  ]\Iissions  who  are  so  busy 
in  their  Master's  vineyard  and  whose  love 
for  God's  creatures  is  as  broad  as  the  earth.  It 
was  especially  pleasing  to  note  your  relation  to 
my  people  in  Africa  and  that  you  find  pleasure 
in  lending  a  helping  hand  in  this  work  which 
I  have  attempted  to  do.  You  must  know  I  am 
very  thankful  that  God  has  chosen  me  to  work 
in  this  place.  I  feel  sure  we  will  be  able  to 
accomplish  great  things  in  the  near  future. 

"I  have  been  in  this  country  three  years,  do- 
ing what  my  hands  found  to  do  when  my  health 
pennitted  me  to  work.  I  have  seen  many  dark 
days  and  have  had  many  sore  trials  and  disap- 
pointments.   I  would  sometimes  exclaim,  'How 


SCHOOL  BUILDING  ERECTED  97 


dreadful  is  this  place!'  And  many  times  I 
have  also  said,  '  Surely  God  is  in  this  place,  and 
I  knew  it  not!'  He  was  near,  even  though  I 
did  not  always  realize  it. 

"It  is  my  purpose  to  establish  an  industrial, 
literary,  and  Bible  school  in  this  place,  which 
I  feel  can  not  fail  to  be  of  inestimable  value  to 
these  my  heathen  brothers  as  well  as  to  the 
people  who  are  civilized.  I  have  succeeded  in 
building  a  dwelling-house  about  two  miles  from 
the  main  settlement  out  on  the  beach.  I  am 
using  the  first  story  to  teach  in  this  year. 

"Our  present  number  on  the  roll  is  twenty- 
nine.  This  number  is  increasing.  Some  have 
come  from  other  settlements.  If  this  continues 
we  will  have  to  teach  the  primary  classes  and 
send  them  home  to  make  room  for  the  advanced 
classes. 

"I  have  not  been  well  the  last  two  weeks.  I 
think  it  was  the  acclimating  fever  making  its 
last  attack.  I  am  very  much  better  now,  and 
able  to  attend  to  my  school  work. 

"I  am  getting  out  the  frame  for  our  new 
•  building,  though  I  have  not  been  able  to  do  any- 
thing at  it  for  some  little  time.  It  is  a  slow 
process  when  I  am  teaching  every  day.  There 
will  be  so  much  work  I  think  I  shall  have  to 
have  some  help  with  the  frame.  I  have  received 
the  money  for  the  zinc  and  will  send  to  Eng- 
land for  it  in  this  mail,  that  it  may  be  here  in 


98         LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


time  for  the  building.  I  am  so  glad  we  are  to 
have  a  building.  We  will  then  have  room  to 
do  more  effective  work.  There  are  many  more 
pupils  anxious  to  come,  but  there  is  not  room. 
I  earnestly  pray  that  I  may  be  able  to  open 
school  in  the  new  school  building  in  1908. 

' '  I  will  get  my  petition  ready  to  meet  the  next 
session  of  the  Legislature,  which  will  be  in  Jan- 
uary next.  I  want  to  get  one  hundred  acres  of 
land  for  a  site  for  the  school. 

"We  have  a  good  Sunday-school  for  this  place. 
It  is  very  interesting  to  all.  We  were  very 
thankful  to  some  good  brother  in  the  United 
States  who  sent  us  a  number  of  song-books  and 
Testaments.  We  sang,  'Praise  God,  from  whom 
all  blessings  flow.'  God  has  blessed  us  in  so 
many  ways  this  year  that  this  seems  like  a  new 
work.  I  have  been  made  strong  by  having  to 
face  so  many  obstacles  which  I  dare  not  men- 
tion here.  I  am  glad  to  say  there  is  a  God  who 
stands  ready  to  shield,  support,  and  strengthen 
us  for  His  work. 

"There  are  only  two  boys  who  live  with  me. 
After  school  hours  we  take  our  axes  and  go  into 
the  forest  to  cut  the  frame  for  the  building. 
They  are  my  school  boys;  so  you  see  we  do  not 
have  very  much  time  to  spend,  especially  when 
it  rains  so  much. 

' '  Next  year  I  would  like  to  set  out  about  three 
thousand  coffee  trees  for  the  Liberian  Christian 


SCHOOL  BUILDING  ERECTED  99 


Institute,  all  of  which  wo^ild  be  of  value  to  the 
school.  I  would  like  to  enter  the  industry  of 
stock-raising  as  well  as  cultivating  the  soil.  I 
can  not  just  now  tell  what  will  be  the  cost  of 
getting  all  this  established,  but  when  I  have  com- 
pleted the  building  I  will  study  out  what  it  will 
cost. 

"I  have  planted  a  large  farm  of  eddas  and 
casava  and  some  corn,  that  I  may  be  able  to 
feed  several  boys  next  year.  You  know,  I  sup- 
pose, that  the  products  of  the  soil  here  are  dif- 
ferent from  those  of  the  United  States.  It  takes 
those  who  come  to  this  country  a  long  time  to 
get  used  to  the  diet.  Some  never  get  used  to  it, 
and  those  who  can  order  from  England  do  not 
care  to.  Corn  and  rice  and  potatoes  are  some 
of  the  things  which  will  grow  here  if  properly 
cared  for,  and  will,  I  believe,  do  as  well  as  in 
the  United  States. 

"I  note  that  Brother  Smith  will  soon  make  a 
visit  to  Iowa  in  the  interests  of  the  work  among 
my  people.  We  are  all  thankful  that  he  is  an 
instrument  in  God's  hands  to  bless  them,  and 
every  boy  and  girl  and  the  old  and  young  who 
know  with  what  great  love  for  their  uplifting 
Brother"  Smith  labors,  will  join  us  in  asking 
God's  blessing  on  the  Christian  Woman's  Board 
of  Missions  and  Brother  Smith. 

"I  ask  an  interest  in  your  prayers  for  this 
work.  Jacob  Kenoly." 


100        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


Mr.  Lehman  had  carefully  prepared  plans  for 
Jacob's  school  building  and  had  sent  these  to 
him,  together  with  instructions,  advice,  and  en- 
couragement for  his  undertakings,  and  the  build- 
ing, as  erected,  and  as  it  stands  there  in  Africa 
to-day,  a  wonder  to  all  that  region,  is  according 
to  these  plans.  It  is  twentj'-five  by  forty  feet, 
and  the  first  story  was  used  by  Jacob  for  his 
school  and  for  religious  services,  and  the  second 
as  a  dormitory  for  boys.  He  named  it  the  ' '  Ross 
Building,"  as  has  before  been  stated,  in  honor 
of  Mrs.  Ross. 

Many  delays  came,  and  the  work  went  very 
slowly.  In  September,  1908,  he  wrote:  "The 
men  are  getting  along  very  well  sawing  lumber 
for  our  new  building.  By  the  last  of  October 
I  hope  we  will  have  all  the  frame  cut.  The  zinc 
which  I  ordered  in  July  is  now  in  Schieffelin. 
The  school  boys  bring  some  every  day.  We  now 
have  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  sheets  over 
on  the  beach.  There  yet  remains  one  hundred 
and  twenty -one  in  Schieffelin."  But  Jacob  does 
.not  tell  the  difficulties  and  hardships  in  getting 
this  zinc,  for  the  building,  as  far  as  Schieffelin. 
It  was  shipped  from  England  to  ^Monrovia,  and 
the  trip  from  Monrovia  to  Schieffelin  was  made 
as  follows:  Four  hours'  "run"  in  the  old  dug- 
out boat  on  the  ]\Ionserrado  River,  and  then  a 
walk  of  five  miles  across  the  "old  fields,"  and 
then  in  the  dugout  boat  on  the  Junk  River  a 


SCHOOL  BUILDING  ERECTED  101 


' '  run ' '  of  five  hours  to  Schieff elin.  This  was  the 
way  by  which  the  two  hundred  and  forty-eight 
sheets  of  zinc  had  been  brought  to  Schieffelin; 
and  then,  as  he  says  in  the  above  quotation,  they 
had  gotten  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  sheets 
out  on  the  beach,  meaning  out  near  the  school 
or  station.  Since  talking  with  Dr.  Dye,  who 
made  this  trip  twice  each  way  from  Monrovia  to 
Schieffelin,  it  is  known  to  be  a  much  more  la- 
borious trip  than  had  been  supposed  from  Ja- 
cob 's  description  as  given  in  a  previous  chapter. 
Dr.  Dye  says  it  took  them  twelve  hours  in  time, 
and  very  hard  labor  on  the  part  of  the  boys 
on  the  river  and  very  hard  walking  and  wading 
(for  he  made  the  trip  in  the  rainy  season)  on 
the  part  of  all  over  the  five  miles  of  ' '  old  fields. ' ' 
They  rowed  for  hours  through  the  heavy  down- 
pour, and  would  stop  by  the  way  and  cook  their 
scanty  food.  In  one  letter  Jacob,  in  telling 
about  bringing  goods  which  had  been  shipped 
from  the  United  States  to  IMonrovia,  tells  of  their 
wading  across  the  "old  fields"  waist  deep  and 
carrying  the  things  in  their  arms  or  above  their 
heads.  Yet  all  the  heavy  covering  for  that 
school  building,  not  only  for  the  roof,  but  for 
the  sides,  and  all  the  window-glass,  etc.,  had  to 
be  brought  from  Monrovia  in  this  way. 

Writing,  March  1,  1909,  of  what  he  had  re- 
ceived locally  in  money,  labor,  etc.,  toward  the 
building,  he  says :  ' '  The  community  has  not  been 


102        LIFE  OP  JACOB  KENOLY 


able  to  do  much  outside  the  settlement.  'Many 
of  the  Monrovia  people  say  it  is  so  far  back  that 
they  will  not  be  benefited  much ;  so  you  see  they 
have  not  yet  reached  the  plane  where  they  can 
give  excepting  where  they  can  see  immediate 
benefit,  though  they  are  able  to  do  so.  Some  of 
the  neighboring  settlemenis  have  promised  to 
give  aid.  Schieffelin  has  given  or  paid  already 
in  means  for  the  building  one  hundred  and  fif- 
teen dollars,  and  forty -five  is  still  to  be  paid  by 
those  who  subscribed  in  Schieffelin,"  It  is  our 
remembrance  that  Jacob  received  from  the  peo- 
ple of  Schieffelin  and  surrounding  country  in 
money,  lumber,  and  labor  at  least  four  hundred 
dollars,  and  he  himself  gave  nearly  all  of  his 
own  salary.  In  December,  1909,  about  two  years 
from  the  time  he  commenced  to  get  out  the 
frame  for  this  building,  he  writes  as  foUows: 
"We  have  just  closed  a  very  successful  term  of 
school.  The  number  enrolled  was  sixty ;  so  you 
see  I  have  been  hard  at  work  with  aU  the  assist- 
ance I  could  get  from  advanced  pupils.  We  had 
eleven  in  our  night  school,  and  about  fifty-five 
in  Sunday  school,  and  forty-eight  in  our  Tem- 
perance Society,  and  we  now  have  eleven  mem- 
bers of  the  Christian  Church.  We  have  been 
doing  what  we  could  on  our  new  school  building 
(though  we  have  used  it  all  this  term).  It  yet 
lacks  the  windows,  which  we  have  been  expect- 


SCHOOL  BUILDING  ERECTED  103 


ing  for  some  time,  but  they  have  not  yet  ar- 
rived. ' ' 

He  wrote  to  the  Executive  Committee  of  the 
Christian  "Woman's  Board  of  Missions:  "We  re- 
joice to  see  that  the  Lord  is  near  to  bless  our 
efforts  here  in  Africa.  This  helps  us  to  know 
that  faithful  service  is  always  attended  by  bless- 
ing from  the  Lord.  I  feel  very  thankful  to  the 
Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Missions  for  our 
new  building.  On  the  day  we  opened  it  and 
saw  what  the  Board  had  done  in  Africa  we  sang 
a  song  of  praise." 

A  letter  to  Mr.  Lehman  of  August  12,  1910,  is 
now  given,  because  it  throws  light  upon  many 
things  connected  with  this  period:  "Your  good 
letter  dated  June  21st  reached  me  August  5th; 
so  you  see  it  has  been  one  month  and  fifteen  days 
on  the  way.  We  had  been  expecting  a  letter 
from  you  for  some  weeks.  Your  letters  are 
looked  for  with  great  eagerness.  When  we  are 
so  fortunate  as  to  get  one  it  is  like  receiving  a 
letter  from  home. 

"I  have  been  having  good  health  this  month 
and  also  a  part  of  last.  I  have  been  kept  quite 
busy  at  the  station.  All  the  work  moves  along 
nicely.  It  is  indeed  a  great  pleasure  to  work 
for  the  unfortunate  ones  of  Africa,  especially 
when  one  sees  with  what  eagerness  the  uncivil- 
ized seek  knowledge  and  the  manifestations  of 
8 


104        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLT 


their  appreciation  of  what  they  receive;  and  as 
we  see  that  our  Heavenly  Father  continues  to 
bless  the  work,  we  can  say  it  is  true  that  God 
has  opened  a  way  for  the  heathen  to  be  lifted  up. 

"On  the  26th  of  July  was  our  national  holi- 
day. We  gave  a  tvvo-weeks'  vacation,  and  some 
of  the  boys  spent  their  vacation  in  carrj'ing 
across  the  'old  fields'  cargo  which  was  sent  by 
the  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  ^Missions.  This 
consisted  of  blue  denim  and  check  for  shirting 
for  boys,  tools,  window  frames,  glass  for  the  win- 
dows, and  some  rice.  You  must  know  we  feel 
very  thankful  to  the  Christian  Woman 's^oard 
of  Missions  for  these  articles.  Some  of  the  boys 
said,  'Providence  is  a  great  thing,  because  He 
sent  these  things  at  our  national  holidays,  so  as 
not  to  let  us  miss  any  from  our  school  days.' 
We  have  the  things  all  at  the  station  now.  We 
were  exposed  to  some  heavy  rains  while  crossing 
the  'old  fields.'  The  water  was  up,  and  iu  many 
places  had  to  be  waded;  but  we  were  so  proud 
that  the  things  had  come  for  our  station  that 
we  thought  it  a  good  time  to  take  them  to  their 
destination."  What  a  lesson  here!  flaking 
that  twenty-four  hours'  trip  to  and  from  Mon- 
rovia, and  carrying  those  heavy  articles  across 
the  swamps  covered  with  water  for  five  miles, 
and  yet  rejoicing  that  it  was  the  holiday  season, 
so  they  would  lose  no  time  from  school!  As 
Jacob  had  given  to  his  boys  his  spirit,  so  all 


SCHOOL  BUILDING  ERECTED  105 


felt  that  all  these  things  came  to  them  by  the 
hand  of  a  kind  Providence  or  as  a  good  gift  from 
God ;  and  hence  the  occasion  for  joy  and  rejoic- 
ing. The  beauty  of  Jacob's  relation  to  his  God 
is  apparent  and  makes  light  the  heaviest  burden. 

At  this  period  we  have  the  following:  "Our 
new  building  is  up  and  inclosed,  and  the  first 
floor  is  laid.  It  is  a  commodious  building  and 
has  a  nice  appearance  from  the  outside.  It  will 
seat,  when  finished,  three  hundred  people,  and 
will  accommodate  one  hundred  pupils.  You 
must  know  we  are  very  thankful  to  the  Lord  and 
the  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Llissions  for 
this  building.  Our  school  opened  in  it  the  first 
Monday  in  April.  Owing  to  the  busy  season  of 
the  year  our  enrollment  was  twenty-five,  but 
since  then  it  has  reached  twenty-eight.  The 
busy  season  will  soon  be  over,  and  then  pupils 
will  come  pouring  in  from  all  the  nearby  settle- 
ments. We  keep  very  busy  before  and  after 
school  hours  working  to  complete  our  building. 
There  is  a  great  deal  of  work  still  to  be  done  on 
it  before  it  is  completed." 

Writing  to  ilrs.  Ross  at  the  close  of  the  school 
of  1909,  he  says:  "I  have  nine  boys  which  I  am 
supporting  in  school.  About  six  weeks  ago  a  na- 
tive man  brought  two  little  naked  heathen  boys 
and  gave  them  to  me.  He  said,  'I  want  them 
to  have  English  names  and  learn  civilized  hab- 
its.'   They  are  seven  and  eight  years  of  age. 


106        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


As  we  looked  on  their  starved  and  naked  forms 
we  were  moved  to  great  sympathy.  The  first 
thing  to  do  was  to  name  them.  One  was  called 
Johnie  and  the  other  Lewis.  They  are  now 
happy  in  their  new  home.  To-day  another  na- 
tive man  brought  another  boy,  and  we  call  him 
Aaron.  Ruth  is  now  at  the  machine  making 
clothes  for  them. 

"I  received  a  letter  from  you  some  time  ago, 
but  my  health  was  so  poor  and  I  was  so  busy 
that  I  could  not  reply  until  now.  In  that  letter 
I  believe  you  asked  me  for  a  sketch  of  my  life. 
I  am  sending  in  this  mail,  under  separate  cover, 
a  part  of  what  you  requested.  You  will  at  some 
future  time  receive  the  rest."  But  the  "rest" 
will  never  be  received,  for  Jacob  was  called  home 
before  the  sketch  was  completed.  What  he  did 
send,  referred  to  above,  is  found  in  the  first 
chapter  of  this  book.  How  thankful  we  are  that 
j\Irs.  Eoss  was  moved  to  ask  Jacob  for  this,  and 
that  he  wrote  as  he  did!  This  is  now  prized 
beyond  words  to  express. 

Of  his  work  at  this  time.  May  18,  1910,  he 
saj'S:  "We  are  keeping  twentj-  boys  on  the  cam- 
pus. Our  number  during  the  busy  season  is 
thirty-five.  I  have  to  look  after  their  food, 
clothes,  medicines,  and  laundry  as  well  as  be- 
havior. Our  Temperance  Society  and  Sunday 
school  and  church  services  are  very  interesting. 
At  our  regular  church  service  on  last  Lord's  day 


SCHOOL  BUILDING  ERECTED  107 


1\vo  came  forward  and  made  the  good  eonfessiou. 
The  baptism  will  be  next  Lord's  day.  This 
makes  fourteen  in  number  in  our  Church. ' '  And 
again:  "We  have  six  tribes  represented  here  in 
school.  There  are  six  Crue  boj^s,  ten  Congo  boys, 
seven  Bassa  boys  and  one  Gola  boy,  and  three 
Pessy  boys  and  three  Americo-Liberians.  You 
see  we  have  thirty  boys  boarding  at  the  Liberian 
Christian  Institute.  We  are  doing  all  we  can 
for  them,  for  their  lives  imist  be  the  product  of 
whatever  influence  is  thrown  around  them. 
They  are  (most  of  them)  small  boys.  You  must 
know  it  takes  work  as  well  as  management  to 
feed  this  number.  I  trust  we  can  have  them  un- 
der such  control  that  their  lives  may  bless  thou- 
sands of  other  lives  who  otherwise  would  reraain 
in  a  state  of  wretchedness.  I  need  not  say  my 
expenses  are  greater,  but  God  knows  we  are  do- 
ing the  very  best  we  can  under  the  circum- 
stances." Again  he  writes:  "We  have  forty- 
four  boarding  pupils,  and  the  expenses  are  very 
great.  It  is  only  in  case  of  extreme  necessity 
that  I  use  any  of  my  salary  for  my  comfort,  but 
I  can  not  meet  the  needs.  .  .  .  Some  time  in 
October  last  a  native  man  brought  his  little  son, 
but  he  ran  away  and  went  home.  He  did  this 
the  second  time  and  the  third.  Then  the  man 
sent  his  older  son  to  stay  until  the  little  fellow 
should  become  tame.  When  two  months  had 
passed  the  father  came  for  the  older  son  to  carry 


108        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


him  home,  but  he  did  not  want  to  go.  He  said, 
'I  want  to  stay  and  be  civilized  too,  and  I  shall 
not  go  back  to  the  country;'  so  both  boys  are 
still  in  school. 

"About  two  weeks  ago  a  large  hoy  ran  away 
from  the  country  and  came  to  the  station.  He 
said,  'I  hear  good  about  this  place,  and  I  have 
come  to  stay  so  I  can  become  civilized.' 

"Now,  with  the  teaching  and  laundry  work 
and  cooking,  it  is  more  than  we  can  very  well 
manage.  I  think  I  will  have  to  take  twenty-five 
dollars  of  the  amount  received  each  quarter  from 
the  Board,  and  with  this  employ  a  primary 
teacher.  If  I  do  not  do  this  I  would  have  to 
send  some  pupils  away.  This  I  vrill  not  do,  for 
if  it  takes  all  I  have  to  keep  those  who  come 
to  me,  I  vfill  not  lose  my  reward  by  making  the 
sacrifice. ' ' 

In  November,  1910,  Jacob  wrote  to  the  Board : 
"I  feel  that  God  is  pleased  with  the  year's  work 
and  that  the  prayers  of  the  Christian  Woman's 
Board  of  Missions  have  reached  Africa.  My 
health  continues  good,  and  I  feel  very  happy  in 
the  work  here.  I  cease  not  to  ask  God's  blessing 
on  the  Christian  Woman 's  Board  of  [Missions. ' ' 

As  the  year  drew  to  a  close  he  again  wrote  to 
the  Board:  "We  have  had  the  good  pleasure  of 
working  together,  the  Board  and  I,  another 
twelve  months.  ]\Iy  salary  has  been  coming  qviite 
regularly  each  quarter,  and  I  have  received  aid 


SCHOOL  BUILDING  ERECTED  109 


in  the  way  of  provisions  and  clothing  for  the 
boys  at  this  station.  I  thank  the  Lord  tlaat  we 
have  been  blessed  through  the  Christian  Wom- 
en's Board  of  Missions.  When  working  in  a  field 
like  this,  experience  furnishes  every  year  a  new 
store  of  knowledge  which  better  fits  one  for  the 
work  of  another  year.  .  .  . 

"We  continue  to  thank  the  Lord  for  the  Chris- 
tian Woman's  Board  of  Missions.  May  the  Lord 
continue  to  bless  you,  its  president !  May  many 
who  sit  in  darkness  be  brought  to  the  light  in 
1911,  so  it  will  then  be  a  happy  new  year  to  the 
Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Missions  and  mis- 
sionaries. ' ' 

Then,  April  18,  1911,  two  months  before  his 
death,  he  writes  to  Mr.  Lehman:  "We  have 
forty-six  boys  to  support.  These  live  in  the 
Eoss  Building.  You  will  realize  that  it  keeps 
us  all  worked  down,  and  that  we  have  hardly 
enough  means  for  so  great  a  work  as  we  are 
now  doing.  Sometimes  we  have  not  enough 
money  for  postage  for  letters  we  would  like  to 
send  to  friends  in  the  homeland." 

And  again :  ' '  One  Crue  man  wants  me  to  take 
twenty-five  Crue  boys  when  school  reopens.  He 
has  just  learned  of  this  school.  I  am  sure  we 
will  be  crowded  out  next  year,  and  I  will  be  glad 
if  we  are  allowed  to  have  one  primary  teacher 
to  help  with  the  work." 

This  primary  teacher  and  an  appropriation 


110        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


for  her  salary  were  allowed  by  the  Christian 
Woman's  Board  of  Missions.  Early  in  1911  the 
Auxiliary  of  the  Walnut  Hills  Christian  Church, 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  raised  six  hundred  dollars  and 
took  Jacob  Kenoly  and  his  mission  as  its  "Liv- 
ing Link;"  and  his  salary  was  increased  by  the 
Board  from  three  hundred  dollars  a  year  to  six 
hundred  dollars  a  year.  Jacob  received  this  good 
news  about  a  fortnight  before  his  death. 

Dr.  Royal  J.  Dye  visited  Jacob  Kenoly  and 
his  mission  about  two  weeks  before  his  death, 
being  there  when  the  letters  containing  the  above 
"good  news"  reached  Jacob.  Farther  mention 
will  be  made  of  this  visit.  We  wish  now  to  tell 
some  incidents  related  by  Dr.  Dye  which  throw 
light  on  Jacob's  methods  in  and  ideals  for  his 
work.  If  any  have  the  impression  that  Jacob 
Kenoly  was  a  weak  character  they  certainly  have 
a  wrong  impression  of  him.  Wlien  Dr.  Dye  was 
there  at  Jacob's  mission  he  said  that  different 
ones  would  take  him  aside  to  "tell  him  about 
Jacob."  One  of  the  boys  of  the  school  told 
Dr.  Dye  that  he  had  come  to  school  for  two  days 
in  succession  with  poor  lessons,  and  that  on  the 
second  day  Jacob  gave  him  a  whipping.  The 
boy  did  not  teU  this  in  the  way  of  complaint 
at  all,  but  rather  as  illustrative  of  Jacob's  disci- 
pline for  his  school.  Again,  Dr.  Dye  learned 
this,  that  one  of  the  school  girls  had  fallen  into 
sin,  and  he  at  once  expelled  her  and  would  not 


SCHOOL  BUILDING  ERECTED  111 


permit  her  to  return  to  school.  The  whole  com- 
munity became  indignant  at  Jacob,  and  threat- 
ened to  take  their  children  from  school,  etc.,  and 
taunted  him,  and  the  news  of  this  spread  all 
over  that  section  of  country,  but  Jacob  could 
not  be  moved  one  jot.  He  told  all  that  nothing 
could  be  done  without  social  purity.  Some  said 
to  him,  ' '  You  can  not  make  a  white  man 's  coun- 
try, and  you  need  not  try."  Jacob  replied,  "I 
am  not  here  to  make  a  white  man 's  country,  but 
a  Christ  country,  and  such  things  can  not  be 
tolerated  in  my  school."  In  the  end  the  firm 
stand  he  took  in  this  made  the  people  believe  in 
him  the  more  and  flock  to  him.  Again  a  man 
took  Dr.  Dye  aside  and  told  him  he  had  some- 
thing he  wanted  to  tell  him  about  Jacob  Kenoly, 
and  after  some  preliminaries  he  said,  "I  want 
to  tell  you  that  Jacob  Kenolj^  is  a  great  'splainer 
[explainer],  he  just  'splains  and  'splains  the 
Word  of  God  until  we  can  all  understand  it." 
So  this  then  was  the  worst  Dr.  Dye  heard  of 
Jacob  Kenoly,  that  he  was  a  great  "  'splainer." 

In  August,  1910,  Jacob  writes  of  one  Henry 
Lewis,  who  had  come  to  the  settlement  about  two 
years  before  to  sell  rum.  This  man  was  born 
in  one  of  the  West  Indies  and  had  been  a  sailor 
most  of  his  life.  He  was  married  to  a  native 
of  Liberia  in  1909,  and  both  he  and  his  wife 
were  converted  by  Jacob  and  joined  his  Church, 
and  he  became  as  a  second  ' '  Timothy ' '  to  Jacob, 


112        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLT 


and  both  himself  and  wife  were  thereafter  of  the 
greatest  help  to  him  and  the  work.  He  was 
one  of  those  who  met  death  with  Jacob,  and  he 
will  be  farther  spoken  of  in  a  closing  chapter. 

]\Iany  times  had  Jacob  mentioned  the  negoti- 
ations with  the  Liberian  Government  for  a  grant 
of  land  for  his  work,  and  when  it  finally  came 
to  him  it  was  for  two  hundred  acres  instead  of 
the  one  hundred  he  had  thought  to  get.  The 
deed  for  this  land  Jacob  sent  to  the  Christian 
Woman's  Board  of  Missions,  and  it  is  now  in 
their  possession. 

Under  date  of  May  18, 1910,  he  writes :  "I  was 
married  to  Ruth  Walker  in  April,  and  she  has 
been  a  great  help  to  me  in  the  work  here.  She 
is  a  sincere  Christian  girl,  who  is  a  missionary 
in  spirit.  Her  age  is  twenty-four  years.  Since 
April  she  has  been  looking  after  the  cooking  and 
laundry  and  sewing  for  twenty-one  boys.  She 
also  assists  some  of  the  classes  in  school. ' '  From 
this  time  to  the  close  of  his  life  Jacob  and  Euth 
walked  hand  in  hand  in  the  work. 

In  May  of  1910  Jacob  and  his  boys  built  a 
dining-room  sixteen  by  twenty  feet.  They  hewed 
this  out  of  the  forest,  and  all  it  cost  was  for 
the  nails. 

A  number  of  times  during  the  last  A'ears  J acob 
had  spoken  of  his  health  as  being  very  poor  and 
had  often  expressed  the  desire  to  come  back  to 
this  country  on  a  furlough.    He  wrote  to  I\Irs. 


SCHOOL  BUILDING  ERECTED  113 


Atwater  about  this,  and  in  February,  1910,  he 
wrote  to  Mr.  Lehman:  "Your  good  letter  came 
a  few  days  ago.  I  was  not  well  at  the  time,  but 
was  anxiously  looking  forward  to  the  time  when 
I  would  be  coming  to  America."  Almost  five 
years  he  had  toiled  there,  and  God  alone  knows 
what  he  had  suffered  and  endured.  Then  he 
writes:  "I  have  received  word  from  the  Board 
that  did  not  make  it  possible  for  me  to  go. 
.  .  .  So  I  am  content  to  stay  and  work  for  the 
Lord." 

Does  not  all  of  the  above  form  a  v/onderful 
picture  of  a  wonderful  life  and  work  ?  Does  not 
tliis  life  forever  answer  that  profound  query, 
"What  good  does  it  do  to  train  a  Negro?"  and 
does  not  this  one  marvelous  life  forever  ansv^-er 
every  question  concerning  work  for  this  race, 
which  holds  in  it  a  touch  of  sarcasm  or  scorn 
or  an  implied  doubt  ?  These  questions  all,  which 
should  never  be  asked  by  followers  of  the  Christ, 
can  be  answered  by  the  two  words,  "Jacob 
Kenoly. ' ' 


CHAPTER  VIII 


JACOB  KENOLT'S  VISION  FOR  LIBERIA 

Jacob  had  a  wonderful  vision  of  what  the  work 
for  Liberia  should  be.  While  he  thanked  God 
continually  for  what  He  had  enabled  him  to  ac- 
complish there,  yet  he  saw  his  work  in  its  true 
proportion,  and,  comparing  it  with  the  need, 
saw  it  as  but  a  small  work  and  as  only  the  be- 
ginning of  what  he  longed  for  in  that  land. 
His  vision  was  of  a  redeemed  Liberia  and  a 
work  large  enough  to  accomplish  this.  He,  look- 
ing forward  to  this  day,  sew  another  and  a  much 
larger  school  building,  one  which  could  accom- 
modate many  hundreds,  and  then  he  saw  dormi- 
tories, and  he  saw  a  hospital  and  medical  school 
and  a  home  for  the  aged  and  a  department  where 
many  industries  should  be  tauglit,  and  then  he 
saw  (and  this  was  the  "vision  beautiful"  to 
him)  all  of  the  above  as  a  radiating  center  from 
which  many  were  to  go  out,  north,  east,  and 
south,  to  carry  the  torch  of  truth  lighted  there 
at  the  great  central  station.  Yes,  Jacob's  vision 
■\^as  for  a  redeemed  Liberia,  for  a  redeemed 
Africa !  He  yearned  over  those  sinful  needy 
114 


JACOB  KENOLY'S  VISION  115 


ones  who,  while  having  a  form  of  godliness,  deny 
the  power  thereof.  And  then  his  great  heart 
was  filled  with  compassion  beyond  power  of 
M'ords  to  express  over  those  wild,  heathen  peoples 
hack  in  the  jungle,  "to  those  thousands  of  naked 
forms  whose  lives  are  tormented  by  the  cruel 
native  customs,  to  the  thousands  of  infants 
thrown  into  the  African  streams,  these  who  plead 
for  the  true  God." 

Jacob  wrote  just  three  months  before  his  death 
concerning  his  wishes  for  the  enlargement  of  his 
work :  "  I  learn  that  there  are  thousands  of  can- 
nibals back  in  the  bush,  and  my  greatest  desire 
is  to  reach  them,  that  they  may  learn  of  the  glory 
of  God  who  drives  away  the  gloom  of  night  from 
even  Africa;  but  the  work  needs  to  be  enlarged 
here,  that  it  may  spread  and  cover  Africa. 

"Now,  concerning  my  wishes  for  the  enlarge- 
ment of  the  Christian  work  at  Denham  Station, 
there  could  be  no  surer  or  better  way  of  en- 
hancing its  interest  to  the  glory  of  God  and 
the  betterment  of  the  benighted  heathen  than  in 
providing  suitable  shelter,  food,  and  raiment  for 
as  many  native  pupils  as  there  could  be  a  suffi- 
cient corps  of  competent  teachers  and  matron 
to  attend  upon.  In  alluding  to  the  competency 
of  teachers  I  do  not  confine  my  ideas  to  mere 
intellectual  training,  important  as  this  is.  There 
is  required  a  large  and  progressive  work  here 
on  the  manual  labor  system.   We  need  teachers 


116        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


of  the  different  trades  for  both  the  male  and 
female  students. 

"It  is  this  that  makes  it  necessary,  in  my 
opinion,  to  send  as  many  of  the  pupils  to  the 
Southern  Christian  Institute  to  be  trained  as 
possible;  this  and  to  give  them  a  conception  of 
what  the  slow  march  of  Christianity  and  civili- 
zation deprives  them  of  here. 

"I  feel  sure  that  when  a  boy  from  Africa  is 
trained  in  an  industrial  school  in  the  United 
States  and  returns  to  his  people  he  can  do  more 
for  them  than  those  who  must  be  acclimated 
first.  About  fifty  per  cent  of  those  who  have 
come  here  of  late  years  have  not  lived  to  become 
acclimated,  and  a  large  per  cent  of  those  who 
have  lived  have  never  had  good  health.  They 
find  such  a  contrast  between  this  and  the  coun- 
try they  have  been  used  to  that  it  unfits  them 
for  the  work,  and  about  nine  out  of  every  ten 
make  failures. 

' '  Then,  again,  I  think  it  would  be  of  great  im- 
portance to  the  advancement  of  the  work  here 
to  have  something  like  a  home  and  orphanage 
which  would  subserve  the  twofold  purpose  of 
caring  for  the  aged  and  infirm  and  those  who 
would  need  medical  attention  as  weU  as  the 
destitute  of  aU  ages.  You  can  scarcely  imagine 
how  much  such  a  benevolent  contribution  as  this, 
in  connection  with  a  Christian  station,  would 
accelerate  its  growth  and  extend  its  influence  for 


JACOB  KENOLY'S  VISION 


117 


good  far  and  near.  Such  things  as  this  Liberia 
is  very  much  needing,  and  an  institution  here 
with  such  provisions  would  indeed  become  to 
this  country  the  Good  Samaritan. 

' '  I  can  say,  while  I  live  in  Africa  let  me  make 
every  possible  sacrifice  to  heal  their  broken 
hearts  and  bring  light  around  their  way;  and 
if  I  must  die  in  Africa,  let  me  die  in  active 
service  for  this  cause — ^then  I  know  I  will  be 
happy." 

Such  was  Jacob  Kenoly's  desire  for  Africa, 
and  coupled  with  it,  as  is  seen  in  what  he  says, 
and  as  a  means  to  its  accomplishment,  was  his 
constant  desire  that  the  most  promising  of  those 
in  his  school  should  be  sent  to  the  Southern 
Christian  Institute  to  be  trained  and  returned 
again,  to  Liberia  for  Christian  service.  "We  be- 
Heve  he  began  planning  for  this  back  in  the  "old 
basement  school."  Certain  it  is  that  one  of  the 
first  pupils  to  be  enrolled  in  that  school  is  now 
at  the  Southern  Christian  Institute  as  the  re- 
sult of  this  longing  and  prayer  of  Jacob's.  A 
few  months  after  he  was  installed  in  the  first 
little  building  out  on  the  beach  he  writes  of 
this  boy  and  his  growing  desire  to  have  him 
go  to  the  Southern  Christian  Institute:  "There 
is  a  boy  in  my  school,  a  native  of  this  country 
and  belonging  to  the  Congo  tribe,  who  has  been 
very  faithful  in  attending  for  two  terms.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  advanced  class  and  is  an  ex- 


118       LIFE  OP  JACOB  KENOLY 


ceptionally  good  boy  for  this  countr}'.  He  has 
helped  me  with  the  little  ones  ever  since  he  has 
been  in  attendance.  We  call  him  James  Run- 
dies.  He  has  written  to  'Uncle  Isaac'  once. 
I  would  be  very  glad  to  have  him  spend  three 
or  four  years  at  the  Southern  Christian  Institute 
if  possible.  I  feel  sure  he  will  be  a  power  for 
good  among  his  people  in  this  country,  being  a 
native  here.  He  is  not  able  to  pay  his  way  to 
the  United  States.  He  is  very  anxious  to  go  to 
the  Southern  Christian  Institute  to  finish  his 
education  and  learn  a  trade,  so  as  to  come  back 
to  work  among  the  people  here.  I  know  it  wiU 
have  its  effect  for  good  on  the  other  boys.  I 
will  help  to  pay  his  fare  to  the  United  States 
if  some  one  else  can  help  a  little."  Jacob  had 
referred  several  times  to  the  help  this  boy  had 
been  to  him  in  the  schoolroom  and  in  various 
ways,  and  one  would  think  he  would  have  felt 
he  must  keep  him  with  him.  Not  so  with  Jacob 
Kenoly,  for  in  this,  as  in  all  else,  he  thought 
not  of  himself,  but  looked  fonvard  to  what  would 
be  for  the  ultimate  good  of  the  work  for  Liberia. 

When  this  desire  of  Jacob's  for  this  boj'  was 
made  known,  Mrs.  ]\Iauning  Davis  and  her  Sun- 
day school  class  of  the  Church  of  Anderson,  In- 
diana, furnished  the  money  for  James  Bundles 
to  come  over  to  the  Southern  Christian  Institute. 
When  Jacob  got  the  letter  in  which  J.  B.  Leh- 
man told  him  of  this,  he  Amtes,  in  reply,  from 


JACOB  KENOLY'S  VISION  119 


the  postoffice  in  Monrovia,  June  15, 1909 :  "Your 
letter  reached  me  to-day.  I  am  truly  glad  to 
know  you  have  the  money  for  James's  passage. 
I  am  not  very  well  prepared  just  now,  as  I  am 
building,  but  I  am  having  some  clothes  made 
for  him,  and  as  soon  as  I  get  the  money  for  his 
fare  I  will  have  him  on  the  way."  Jacob's  help- 
ing James  to  get  suitable  clothes  for  the  voyage 
did  not  have  its  full  meaning  to  us  until  long 
after,  when  we  learned  something  of  his  own 
great  needs  at  that  time.  James  Rundles  left 
Liberia,  August  16,  1909,  and  word  was  sent 
on  as  to  the  date  when  he  sailed.  When  two 
months  had  passed  and  no  word  was  received 
from  him,  Mr.  Lehman  became  very  uneasy  as 
to  his  safety.  He  Avrote  to  proper  authorities  in 
France  and  to  the  shipping  ports  on  the  gulf, 
but  no  intelligence  was  received,  but  James  Run- 
dles arrived  at  the  Southern  Christian  Institute, 
November  2,  1909,  having  been  two  months  and 
seventeen  days  on  the  way.  Mr.  Lehman  says: 
"Jacob  did  not  start  him  from  the  port  I  had 
planned,  and  the  boat  landed  him  at  Marseilles 
instead  of  Bordeaux,  and  he  had  to  go  by  rail- 
road from  the  former  to  the  latter,  and  arrived 
there  one  day  too  late  for  his  boat,  and  so  had 
to  wait  a  month.  The  American  consul  kept  his 
money  for  him  and  paid  his  board  bill,  etc. ' '  We 
learn  that  James  Rundles  saw  but  two  persons 
while  in  France  who  could  understand  him,  and 
9 


120       LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


he  tells  also  that  his  ship  was  driven  out  of  its 
course  by  storm  on  the  way  from  Liberia  to 
France.  He  is  now  in  school  at  the  Southern 
Christian  Institute,  and  one  of  his  teachers  re- 
cently wrote  that  his  conduct  in  her  classes  last 
year  was  simply  perfect.  He  seems  to  have 
caught  Jacob  Kenoly's  spirit.  Our  prayer  is 
that  he  may  always  hold  to  this  high  standard 
and  in  a  few  years  return,  an  incarnation  of  Ja- 
cob's spirit,  Christ's  spirit,  to  those  people  who 
yet  sit  in  gross  darkness. 

Soon  after  sending  James  Eundles,  Jacob 
wrote  of  another  boy  whom  he  wished  to  send: 
"I  hope  by  this  time  our  boy  whom  we  sent  is 
in  the  United  States  at  the  Southern  Christian 
Institute.  There  is  another  boy  here  whom  I 
would  like  to  send.  He  belongs  to  the  Congo 
tribe  and  is  very  apt  and  well  reported.  I  be- 
lieve he  also  will  be  a  power  for  good  in  this 
country  if  he  is  given  a  proper  chance."  And 
again,  "A  ]\Ir.  West,  of  Rock  Island,  Illinois,  has 
become  interested  in  him  and  has  asked  what 
would  be  his  fare  to  the  United  States." 

It  is  the  policy  of  the  Christian  "Woman's. 
Board  of  Missions,  as  it  is  of  the  missionary 
boards  of  other  religious  peoples,  that  those  from 
their  foreign  fields  should  not  be  brought  to 
this  country  to  be  educated  for  the  purpose  of 
returning  them  again  to  their  own  country  as 
missionaries,    Jacob,  however,  felt  that  these 


JACOB  KENOLY'S  VISION  121 


whom  he  had  especially  selected  as  most  fitted 
to  take  the  gospel  message  to  their  own  in  Li- 
beria should  receive  a  better  training  than  he 
could  possibly  give  them  or  than  they  could  ob- 
tain any  place  in  that  land.  Then  he  felt  that 
from  the  very  spirit  and  atmosphere  at  the 
Southern  Christian  Institute,  and  because  of  the 
peculiar  training  given  there,  it  was  especially 
adapted  to  give  these  boys  just  the  training  they 
would  need  in  order  to  fit  them  as  missionaries 
to  Liberia.  He  also  felt  that  it  would  not,  in 
any  particular,  educate  them  out  of  sympathy 
with  their  own  or  with  Christian  service  to  their 
own,  but  would  give  to  these,  just  as  it  had  to 
him,  not  only  the  right  training  but  the  vision 
of  service  necessary. 

He  says:  "I  believe  the  native  people  of  this 
country  will  make  the  best  missionaries,  when 
trained  properly,  because  they  understand  all 
the  wretchedness  which  belongs  to  heathen  cus- 
toms. ...  It  would  be  the  means  of  bringing 
here  that  which  would  lift  up  many,  many  more 
of  the  wretched  ones  of  this  country."  Jacob 
knew  of  the  boys  from  Jamaica  who  had  been 
educated  at  the  Southern  Christian  Institute  and 
had  returned  to  their  own  country  as  missiona- 
ries, and  that  there  had  not  been  the  disastrous 
results  from  this  such  as  many  fear  from  for- 
eign education.  He  knew,  on  the  contrary,  that 
some  of  the  very  best  native  workers  on  the 


122        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


Island  of  Jamaica  to-day  are  these  very  same 
boys  sent  here  and  trained  at  the  Southern 
Christian  Institute,  and  now  working  among 
their  own  in  their  own  land. 

"Wlien  Jacob  heard  of  the  decision  of  the  Chris- 
tian Woman's  Board  of  Missions  in  regard  to 
this  matter  he  wrote  stating  his  reasons  for 
wishing  to  send  boys  here  to  be  trained,  and  then 
Avrote  in  addition:  "I  was  made  very  sad  on 
learning  that  it  is  against  the  wishes  of  the 
Board  to  send  boys  from  here  to  be  trained  in 
the  United  States  for  this  work.  In  the  case 
of  the  one  boy  I  have  somewhat  obligated  my- 
self, and  he  has  sacrificed  a  part  of  his  studies 
so  as  to  help  with  the  work  here.  Should  the 
people  lose  confidence  in  me  it  would  not  be 
good.  You  will  note  some  of  my  reasons  for 
wishing  to  send  some  of  the  boys  to  the  Southern 
Christian  Institute  to  be  trained,  but  another 
reason  for  Avanting  them  to  go  to  the  Southern 
Christian  Institute  is  because  I  know  it  will  meet 
the  pressing  needs  of  Africa  by  developing  them 
in  the  threefold  way,  and  I  also  think  ^Missis- 
sippi  is  near  the  temperature  of  their  African 
home.  I  will  not  tell  him  positively  that  he  can 
not  go  until  I  hear  from  you  again." 

The  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  ^Missions 
took  this  special  case  into  consideration  and,  in 
view  of  the  circumstances,  so  far  departed  from 
their  policy  as  to  allow  the  sending  of  two  more 


JACOB  KENOLY'S  VISION  "  123 


boys  from  Jacob's  mission  to  the  Southern 
Christian  Institute,  for  at  this  time  Jacob  wrote 
also  of  a  third  boy  who  had  won  the  interest 
of  a  sister  in  the  far  Western  part  of  our  land 
who  hopes  some  day  to  bring  him  also  to  the 
Southern  Christian  Institute.  We  feel  that  such 
a  decision  was  greatly  to  the  credit  of  the  Board, 
and  that  all  who  read  this  will  be  glad  that  this 
was  so  ruled. 

Before  the  letter  in  which  the  policy  of  the 
Christian  Woman's  Board  of  ]\Iissions  in  this 
matter  was  stated  reached  Jacob  he  had  written 
about  the  sending  of  the  second  boy,  Peter  Dun- 
son  by  name. 

He  says :  "  I  wish  to  have  him  enter  school,  if 
possible, '  at  the  beginning  of  the  next  term  at 
the  Southern  Christian  Institute.  Therefore  I 
would  like  to  send  him  next  April.  I  will  be 
glad  if  I  can  borrow  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
eight  dollars  to  be  used  for  this  purpose,  and 
pay  back  twenty-five  dollars  each  quarter  until 
it  is  paid.  Otherwise  I  could  not  meet  the  ex- 
pense of  the  work  here.  I  will  be  pleased  if 
you  will  make  these  arrangements  for  me  with 
the  Board."  Jacob's  salary  was  seventy-five 
dollars  a  quarter,  and  this  year  he  had  sixty- 
four  pupils  and  twenty-four  boys  who  boarded 
at  the  school  all  the  time,  and  yet  so  great 
was  his  desire  that  another  boy  be  sent  and 
trained,  to  return  again  to  help  redeem  Africa, 


124       LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


lie  vras  willing  to  give  all  tlie  passage  money 
himself  and  have  twenty -five  dollars  taken  from 
each  quarterly  installment  of  seventy-five  dollars 
until  this  was  paid.  Does  our  desire  for  the 
salvation  of  any  land  or  people  measure  up  with 
this? 

But  Jacob  did  not  have  to  give  the  above,  for 
L.  E.  West,  of  Kock  Island,  Illinois,  and  some 
others  whom  he  interested  in  the  matter  sent  to 
the  writer  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  for  the 
purpose  of  paying  the  passage  of  Peter  Dunson 
to  the  Southern  Christian  Institute.  It  was  sent 
about  the  middle  of  last  ]\Iay,  but  long  before 
it  reached  Liberia,  Jacob  Kenoly  had  been  called 
home  to  his  eternal  reward.  However,  Peter 
Dunson  will  come  to  the  Southern  Christian  In- 
stitute. 

We  hope  that  when  the  time  is  ripe  for  it, 
the  third  boy  selected  by  Jacob,  whose  name  is 
Jerome  Freeman,  may  also  come  to  the  Southern 
Christian  Institute  for  training,  that  in  fullness 
of  time  these  may  all  return  to  help  in  carrying 
forward  the  work  Jacob  sacrificed  so  much  to 
establish  and  to  help  in  making  his  vision  of 
a  redeemed  Liberia  a  reality. 


CHAPTER  IX 


CLOSING  DAYS  AND  DEATH 

"We  have  now  come  to  a  time  in  our  narrative 
when  Jacob  Kenoly  is  nearing  the  close  of  his 
earthly  labors,  nearing  the  rest  which  remaineth 
for  the  people  of  God. 

We  ask  ourselves  what  he  has  accomplished 
in  Liberia?  He  has  there,  two  miles  from  the 
little  village  of  Schieffelin,  two  hundred  acres 
of  land,  a  grant  from  the  Liberian  Government, 
and  on  this,  chiefly  by  his  own  labor,  he  has  suc- 
ceeded in  erecting  three  small  buildings.  He 
has  a  farm  in  cultivation,  and  he  has  gathered 
about  him  a  vei^^  meager  equipment  for  his  work 
of  educating,  training,  and  supporting  over  half 
a  hundred  boys  and  girls.  He  carries  on  here 
a  day  school  and  a  Bible  school,  and  has  a 
Church  and  temperance  society.  These  are  the 
visible,  the  tangible  results.  But  of  the  influ- 
ence of  his  great  life  and  character  and  of  the 
truths  he  has  implanted  in  living  souls  we  can 
not  thus  clearly  speak,  for  time  and  eternity 
alone  can  reveal  what  these  shall  accomplish. 
125 


126        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLT 


The  last  of  May,  1911,  Dr.  Royal  J.  Dye, 
missionary  to  Bolenge,  Africa,  on  his  way  to 
the  United  States  from  his  station,  stopped  at 
IMonrovia,  Liberia,  for  the  purpose  of  studying 
Jacob  Kenoly's  mission.  This  visit  of  Dr.  Dye's 
brought  great  joy  to  Jacob,  and  we  can  not  be 
thankful  enough,  in  the  light  of  the  following 
events,  that  it  was  made.  Dr.  Dye's  account  of 
this  forms  an  interesting  and  wonderful  story, 
verifying  in  every  detail  what  Jacob  had  re- 
vealed through  his  letters  to  his  friends  here. 

Dr.  Dye  tells  us  that  Jacob  received,  while  he 
was  there,  the  word  before  mentioned  which 
brought  him  great  happiness ;  that  the  boy  Peter 
Dunson  was  to  be  brought  to  the  Southern  Chris- 
tian Institute;  that  the  Christian  Woman's 
Board  of  ]\Iissions  was  going  to  double  his  (Ja- 
cob's) salary  and  also  allow  him  a  primarj'' 
teacher.  Dr.  Dye's  visit,  as  Jacob  said,  came 
to  cap  the  other  good  things. 

How  thankful  we  are  that  this  good  news 
reached  him  before  it  was  too  late.  Here  are 
quoted,  just  as  he  penned  them,  the  last  two 
letters  which  Jacob  Kenoly  ever  wrote.  The 
first,  to  the  wTiter,  was  dated  May  26,  1911,  just 
two  weeks  before  his  death.  It  is  written  in 
Monrovia  while  Dr.  Dye  was  with  him,  and  in 
haste,  that  it  might  go  with  the  next  mail. 


CLOSING  DAYS  AND  DEATH  127 


"Mr.  C.  C.  Smith,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

"Dear  Brother  Smith:  I  have  just  received 
your  good  letter  of  April  25th.  I  was  especially 
pleased  to  have  this  good  letter.  It  indeed 
makes  me  feel  that  some  of  God's  people  are 
helping  greatly  with  this  task  of  redeeming 
Africa. 

' '  While  I  am  writing  this  letter  Brother  Dye, 
of  Bolenge,  is  in  ray  presence.  He  is  writing  to 
his  people  at  this  moment.  He  has  paid  me  a 
visit,  and  I  feel  very  greatly  helped  by  this  visit. 
He  is  on  his  way  to  the  homeland  and  came  to 
my  station  about  eight  o'clock  yesterday  morn- 
ing. All  have  been  greatly  strengthened  by  his 
lectures.  ]\Iany  things  he  has  said  the  smallest 
boys  will  never  forget,  for  he  is  full  of  good 
things.  He  has  left  some  medicine  for  me  and 
some  for  the  boys.  "We  would  be  glad  if  he 
could  stay  with  us  always.  I  am  feeling  quite 
well  since  Brother  Dye  has  been  with  me,  and 
his  visit  will  be  of  untold  value  to  the  work 
here.  I  am  just  writing  this  in  haste  to  get 
it  ready  for  the  mail,  so  you  will  please  excuse 
the  poor  writing  and  mistakes  this  time.  I 
wanted  you  to  have  a  letter  through  this 
mail. 

"Yours  for  Christ's  cause, 

"Jacob  Kenoly." 


128        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


The  last  letter  he  wrote  was  to  Mr.  Lehman, 
dated  June  7th,  and  was  left  unfinished  when 
he  died.    It  is  given  here:' 

"Denham  Station,  Schieffelik,  Liberia, 

"June  7,  1911. 

"Professor  J.  B.  Lehman, 

"Southern  Christian  Institute, 
" Edivards,  Mississippi. 
"Deae  Brother  Lehmax: 

' '  I  am  pleased  to  have  the  pleasure  of  writing 
you  again  during  this  rainy  but  busy  period. 

"We  are  well  excepting  two  native  boys,  but 
their  health  is  improving  some  since  last  week, 
and  this  makes  us  feel  happy.  My  health  is  also 
improved  since  my  last  writing. 

"Dr.  Dye,  of  Bolenge,  spent  about  five  days 
in  Liberia,  three  of  which  were  spent  at  the  Li- 
berian  Christian  Institute.  His  Sunday  morn- 
ing discourse  was  very  impressive,  and  his  un- 
expected visit  was  of  inestimable  value  to  the 
work.  He  made  some  pictures  and  administered 
some  .medicine.  All  the  community  has  been 
favorably  impressed  by  his  coming,  and  all  re- 
gretted very  much  to  have  him  leave  for  Eureka. 

"We  now  have  fifty-one  boarding  pupils  and 
are  doing  the  best  we  can  for  them.  They  are 
making  rapid  progress  in  studies  and  we  are 
doing  fairly  well  with  their  discipline.  To  be 
sure,  we  need  help  with  this,  and  I  would  be 


CLOSING  DAYS  AND  DEATH  129 


glad  if  Patrick  Moss  and  wife  could  come.  I 
feel  sure  they  are  the  proper  persons  and  could 
do  great  good  in  this  country. 

"I  would  like  to  thank  the  good  people  again 
for  the  box  which  came  to  us  from  the  South- 
ern Christian  Institute.  It  was  indeed  a  bless- 
ing from  heaven.  We  feel  very  thankful  to  every 
contributor  in  every  way.  'Praise  Cod,  from 
whom  all  blessings  flow. '  And  in  this  ease  they 
flow  by  way  of  Arkansas  and  Mississippi. 

"The  seine  was  quite  short.  However,  we 
have  caught  some  very  nice  fish.  Everything 
was  profitable  to  us  in  Africa. 

"It  is  very  sad  to  relate  the  death  of  Brother 
George  Owen,  who  came  to  Liberia  about  six- 
teen years  ago.  He  lived  a  consistent  Christian 
life.  On  last  Lord's  day  morning  he  told  us 
good-bye  and  said  his  soul  was  prepared  to 
rest  with  Jesus.  Brother  Owen  was  the  first  to 
join  the  Christian  Church  here.  He  leaves  his 
widow  in  Africa,  but  his  son,  James,  is  in  Miss- 
issippi. 

"Our  school"   

The  letter  stopped  here.  The  Mr.  George 
Owen  referred  to  in  this  letter  attended  the 
Southern  Christian  Institute  in  the  early  days, 
when  there  was  but  one  building,  and  his  son 
attended  school  there  under  Randall  Faurot's 
administration.  Jacob  had  stayed  with  this  man 


130        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


and  wife  part  of  the  time  while  he  was  building 
his  first  building,  and  Dr.  Dye  gives  a  most 
touching  picture  of  how,  when  Mr.  Owen's  health 
became  very  poor,  Jacob  built  a  little  house  for 
him  and  his  vriie  and  cared  for  him  as  a  son 
would  until  he  died. 

There  were  now  fifty-one  pupils  at  the  station. 
These  were  mostly  the  native  boys,  for  whom  he 
provided  a  home  and  food  and  raiment.  Others 
came  to  the  school  from  the  surrounding  set- 
tlements. He  "made"  a  farm  to  help  with 
the  support  of  the  pupils,  and  went  fishing 
to  help  supply  food  for  all.  Then  we  have 
learned  that  he  took  care  of  Mr.  Owen,  and 
that  probably  at  this  time  he  was  helping  a 
sister  in  this  country  through  school.  His  salary 
was  three  hundred  dollars  a  year,  seventy-five 
dollars  a  quarter,  twenty-five  dollars  a  month, 
or  about  fifty  cents  a  month  for  each  boy  he  was 
supporting.  These  fifty-one  boys  slept  on  mats 
in  the  upper  part  of  the  school  building,  and  in 
the  rainy  season  the  nights  were  very  chilly. 
When  Dr.  Dye  was  there  and  the  word  came 
that  the  Board  had  increased  the  amount  he 
(Jacob)  was  to  receive,  he  said,  "I  thank  God, 
for  now  I  can  get  some  blankets  for  my  boys." 
This  expression  seemed  the  more  wonderful 
when  we  came  to  know  that  through  all  the 
years  spent  in  that  country  Jacob  had  not  had 


CLOSING  DAYS  AND  DEATH  131 


for  himself  a  rubber  coat  or  any  kind  of  special 
protection  from  the  awful  rains. 

Can  we  not  see  with  the  eye  of  our  mind 
this  family  at  meals  in  the  little  dining-room — 
the  half  a  hundred  and  more  boys  and  girls, 
and  Jacob  and  his  wife  and  the  assistant 
teacher,  Mrs.  Lewis,  and  her  husband?  Jacob 
said:  "I  do  the  best  I  can  to  have  my  boys  eat 
in  a  civilized  manner.  We  have  but  few  dishes, 
but  I  have  them  sit  up  to  tables  and  eat  from 
plates."  With  the  schools  and  Church  and 
farm  and  the  swarm  of  dependent,  unruly  chil- 
dren, can  we  not  imagine  his  accumulated  cares  ? 

Whenever  it  was  possible  they  went  fishing, 
to  help  supply  food  for  those  in  the  mission, 
and  he  spoke  often  of  what  a  help  it  was  when 
they  could  obtain  fish.  Most  of  their  fishing 
Avas  done  in  a  sound  or  lake  or  lagoon,  all  of 
which  terms  Jacob,  at  different  times,  used  for 
it.  These  lagoons  are  formed  when  the  floods 
of  the  rainy  season  fill  a  depression  in  the  earth 
around  which  the  sand  had  been  washed.  The 
lagoon  in  which  Jacob  fished  near  his  school 
was  about  eight  miles  long.  It  had  become  so 
filled  by  the  sand  at  its  mouth  that  its  waters 
could  not  flow  out  to  the  ocean,  and  so  this 
"mouth"  must  needs  be  opened*  On  the  morn- 
ing of  June  9, 1911,  Jacob  with  ^ven  others  went 
out  in  the  old  log  ' '  dugout ' '  to  ^rf orm  this  task 


132       LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


and  also  to  fish.  When  they  had  completed  the 
opening  of  the  lake  they  were  on  the  farther  side 
from  the  mission  and  undertook  to  cross  back, 
but  the  waves  were  too  strong  for  them  to  stem 
and  carried  them  out  to  the  ocean  and  capsized 
the  boat.  With  Jacob  were  'Mr.  Lewis  and  two 
other  men  and  four  boys  from  the  mission. 
Jacob  Kenoly  and  the  three  men  and  one  of 
the  boys  were  drowned.  Three  of  the  boys  swam 
to  shore.  One  of  these  is  the  Peter  Dunson 
who  is  to  come  to  the  Southern  Christian  In- 
stitute. 

The  body  of  Jacob  Kenoly  was  found  two  days 
later  and  buried  on  the  beach  near  to  where 
it  was  found.  Later  he  was  buried  near  the 
mission  station. 

The  news  of  his  death  reached  the  United 
States  while  the  National  Convention  was  in  ses- 
sion at  Portland,  Oregon.  When  Dr.  Dye  heard 
it  he  wrote  as  follows: 

"EuKEKA,  III.,  July  20, 1911. 
"Dear  Brother  Smith: 

"I  can  not  tell  you  the  shock  I  felt  upon  ar- 
riving home  and  learning  of  the  death  of  our 
dear  'Jacob'  only  a  week  after  my  departure. 
Truly  this  is  hard  to  understand,  but  we  know 
that  it  must  have  some  meaning  and  purpose  in 
the  Father's  plan. 


CLOSING  DAYS  AND  DEATH  133 


"We  had  such  a  good  visit.  Jacob  had  asked 
my  advice  on  everything.  We  had  planned  to- 
gether large  things  for  the  future  of  the  work 
there.  He  had  told  me  all  his  ideas  and  desires. 
The  people  had  felt  so  encouraged  by  my  visit. 

"Then  the  letters  from  the  Board  increasing 
his  salary  and  allowing  his  assistant  teacher's 
salary,  coming,  as  he  said,  to  cap  the  climax  of 
my  visit,  gave  him  new  hope  and  resolve  to  do 
a  work  worthy  of  your  support  to  the  very  ut- 
most. He  was  a  brave,  noble,  self-sacrificing, 
consecrated  man,  serving  his  JMaster  to  the  limit 
of  his  ability. 

"His  fishing  was  but  an  attempt  to  provide 
food  for  his  boys  without  spending  any  more 
money  than  was  necessary.  I  was  going  to  rec- 
ommend a  steel  launch  for  him,  such  as  we  have 
in  Bolenge.  It  is  sea-worthy  and  has  air- 
chambers  like  a  lifeboat,  while  he  was  risking 
and  lost  his  life  in  the  little  dugout  log  canoe. 

"Surely  God  means  this  as  a  call  to  the 
Church,  His  heroic  life  and  death  should  call 
the  very  best  we  have  into  that  service. 

"With  the  sincere  expression  of  my  most 
heartfelt  sympathy  with  you  in  this  personal 
loss  of  your  son  in  the  gospel  (whom  I  loved  as 
a  brother  and  fellow- worker),  I  am  as  ever, 

"Yours  very  sincerely  in  His  glad  service  for 
Africa,  Royal  J.  Dye,  M.  D." 


134        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


Mention  has  before  been  made  of  one  Henry 
Lewis,  who  was  a  native  of  the  "West  Indies  and 
who,  after  leading  a  roving  life  for  a  good  many 
years,  had  come  to  Liberia,  near  to  Schieffelin 
and  settled  there  to  sell  liquor.  This  man  was 
in  some  way,  we  know  not  by  just  what  means, 
reached  by  Jacob  and  converted.  At  his  con- 
version he  gave  up  his  liquor  business  and 
thereafter  led  a  godly  life  and  was  of  great  help 
to  Jacob  in  all  his  work.  This  man's  wife,  a 
native  girl  of  Sehieifelin,  united  with  the  Church 
when  he  did,  and  she  was  the  one  Jacob  chose 
to  assist  in  the  mission  school  as  primary  teacher. 

At  the  time  when  Jacob  Kenoly  and  this  man 
lost  their  lives  there  was  with  Jacob's  unfin- 
ished letter  to  J.  B.  Lehman  one  written  by 
him,  which  Jacob,  no  doubt,  intended  to  send 
with  his  letter.  This  letter  is  now  quoted,  be- 
cause it  gives  an  account  of  what  Jacob  had 
done  for  one  man  in  the  words  of  the  man 
himself : 

"  SCHIEFPELIN,  LiBEBLA.,  AfKICA. 

"Dear  Brothee  Lehman: 

' '  It  has  been  a  long  time  since  you  have  heard 
from  me.  Nevertheless  I  have  been  thinking  of 
you  and  all  the  good  folks  over  there. 

"Since  I  have  found  the  true  light  and  have 
taken  the  yoke  of  Christ  on  me  I  find  it  is  very 
easy,  and  nothing  gives  me  more  joy  than  when 
I  am  doing  some  duty  for  the  Lord.   And  now 


CLOSING  DAYS  AND  DEATH  135 


that  I  have  put  off  the  old  man  and  put  on 
the  new,  I  want  to  live  and  work  and  die  fight- 
ing for  the  Master  to  spread  His  light  abroad. 
I  came  to  this  place  to  make  strong  drinks  to 
destroy  the  souls  and  bodies  of  men  and  women. 
But,  like  Paul  on  his  way  to  Damascus  to  per- 
secute the  Christians,  the  Lord  caused  the  light 
to  shine  down  into  the  bottom  of  my  heart  and 
called  to  me.  I  have  obeyed  the  call  and  was 
baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  And  to-day, 
praise  the  Lord !  I  am  in  His  service  trying  to 
gain  souls  into  the  Kingdom  of  God,  for  His 
harvest  is  ripe  in  Africa,  but  genuine  laborers 
are  few. 

"Dr.  Royal  Dye  on  his  way  home  from  West 
Africa  visited  us.  We  were  glad  to  see  him.  He 
lectured  for  us  Thursday  and  Sunday.  He  did 
lots  of  walking  and  canoeing  in  visiting  our  sur- 
roundings. 

"We  are  all  through  planting  the  farms,  and 
this  is  now  the  rainy  season.  The  lake  is  full, 
and  we  are  going  to  break  it  this  week,  so  we 
can  fish  with  the  small  net  Brother  Kenoly 
brought. 

"I  will  be  glad  when  Brother  Kenoly  goes 
home  on  a  furlough,  for  he  has  been  working 
hard,  and  a  few  months'  rest  will  do  him  a  great 
deal  of  good.  All  the  same  I  hope  the  good 
folks  will  not  keep  him  in  America  too  long, 
for  Africa  needs  men  like  him  and  Dr.  Dye, 
10 


136        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


and  plenty  of  them.  For  missionary  work  in 
Africa  it  does  not  need  one  just  out  of  college 
with  a  head  full  of  education  only,  but  it  takes 
genuine,  all-around  men  and  women  who  have 
been  truly  converted  and  have  made  up  their 
minds  to  live  for  God  and  to  die  for  God.  I 
bring  my  letter  to  a  close  for  this  time.  Love 
be  with  you  all.    I  remain 

"Yours  in  Christ's  service, 

"Hexky  Lewis." 

With  the  foregoing  letter  came  this  little  note 
from  this  man's  wife,  she  who  was  the  assistant 
teacher  in  Jacob's  school: 

"Dear  Brother  Lehman: 

"You  will  find  enclosed  in  my  envelope  a 
letter  that  my  husband  had  written  the  same 
day  that  I  wrote  my  other  letter.  Both  of  us 
were  trying  to  get  our  letters  ready  for  Brother 
Kenoly  to  carry  to-morrow,  as  he  was  expecting 
to  leave  for  ]\Ionrovia  on  the  tenth.  But  it  is 
too  sad  to  tell  that  Brother  Kenoly  and  my  hus- 
band both  were  in  eternity  before  this  time,  and 
three  other  souls  besides.  They  left  home  early 
on  the  morning  of  the  ninth  to  let  the  lake  out 
into  the  sea,  as  it  had  filled  up  so  they  could 
not  do  any  fishing  with  the  net.  They  succeeded 
in  getting  the  lake  open  and  were  coming  home ; 
but  when  crossing  from  one  side  of  the  channel 


CLOSING  DAYS  AND  DEATH  137 


to  the  other  the  water  was  very  swift  and  the 
swells  carried  the  canoe  out  to  sea  and  capsized 
it.  There  were  eight  in  all  that  were  in  the 
canoe,  and  five  of  these  were  drowned  and  three 
were  saved.  The  whole  school  mourns  the  death 
of  our  teacher. 

"Please  excuse  all  mistakes,  for  I  have  no 
mind  to  write  at  present. 

"Yours  in  Christ  Jesus, 

"Rebecca  H.  Lewis." 

In  his  letters  Jacob  spoke  of  having  visited 
several  times  at  the  home  and  mission  of  one 
Shadrach  N.  "Williams,  a  native  of  the  country, 
a  man  of  intelligence  and  education,  who  had 
an  independent  mission  at  Evergreen,  on  the 
Farmington  River.  At  several  times  during  his 
residence  in  Schieffelin  Jacob  had  gone  to  his 
home  and  spent  there  short  seasons  of  rest  and 
refreshing. 

After  the  death  of  Jacob  he  wrote  the  follow- 
ing letter  to  Dr.  Dye : 

"Evergreen,  Farmington  River, 
"LiBERU,  W.  C.  A.,  Aug.  16,  1911. 
"My  Dear  Doctor  Dye: 

' '  This  is  my  third  letter  to  you,  as  a  diversion 
of  my  mind  from  its  solitary  subject  of  thought. 
Jacob  Kenoly  was  indeed  my  best  friend.  I 
liked  him  for  his  Christian  piety  and  the  work 


138        LIFE  OP  JACOB  KENOLY 


so  dear  to  his  heart,  v.hich  is  according  to  my 
ovm.  idea  of  Christianity.  "We  were  as  often 
together  as  circumstances  would  allow,  and  had 
frequent  correspondence.  Now  that  he  is  no 
more,  it  is  natural  for  my  mind  to  revert  to  the 
individual  who  was  with  him  when  I  last  saw 
him;  that  individual  was  your  good  self,  who 
alone  I  think  of  in  connection  \\ath  his  work. 
I  am  indeed  very  glad  tliat  Providence  sent  you 
to  inspect  the  work,  as  you  better  know  what  is 
the  mission's  property  and  what  is  not.  There 
may  be  some  omissions  in  the  inventory,  for 
which  I  am  not  accountable,  as  I  could  only 
put  down  what  was  presented  as  mission  prop- 
erty. 

"Kindly  make  our  best  compliments  accept- 
able to  yourself  and  family,  if  you  please. 
"Yours  very  sincerely, 

"Shad.  N.  Williams." 

The  hope  of  our  mission  in  Liberia,  Africa, 
rests  (until  the  Christian  Woman's  Board  of 
]\Iissions  can  find  some  one  to  go  there  from  the 
United  States)  with  Ruth  E.  Kenoly,  Jacob's 
wife.  As  we  read  her  beautiful  letters  that 
hope  is  strengthened,  for  we  feel  that  she  has 
caught  much  of  the  spirit  of  her  husband,  who 
was  for  several  years  her  teacher  before  they 
were  married. 

Her  letters  written  since  his  death,  as  she 


CLOSING  DAYS  AND  DEATH  139 


v.  as  bowed  down  with  a  great  sorrow  and  many 
]-esponsibi]iLie3,  are  remarkable.  "We  now  quote 
from  those  written  to  a\Irs.  Ross: 

"LiBERiAX  Christian  Institute, 
"Denham  Station. 
"Mrs.  Eoss,  Eureka,  Illinois. 
' '  My  Dear  Mother  in  Christ  : 

"I  am  proud  to  be  blessed  with  the  privilege 
of  writing  you,  and  to  know  that  you  partly 
trained  Jacob  Kenoly,  who  came  to  Liberia  in 
1905  and  began  giving  his  services  for  the  up- 
lifting of  his  heathen  brothers  and  sisters.  I 
attended  his  school  as  primary  student  and  I 
continued  to  improve  and  try  to  prepare  myself 
for  future  usefulness,  and  I  worked  that  I  might 
be  useful  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord. 

"After  five  years  I  was  married  to  Jacob 
Kenoly,  and  his  work  became  my  work ;  and  oh, 
my  dear  mother,  he  was  equipped  for  the  work 
he  loved  so  well !  He  would  say  to  me,  '  Ruth, 
I  love  my  work  so  well  I  could  give  my  life 
for  it.'  And,  Mother,  so  he  did.  He  was- 
drowned  on  the  ninth  of  June. 

' '  He  had  fifty-one  boarding  students,  and  fish 
were  not  plentiful ;  so  a  crowd  of  them  went  out 
to  try  the  new  seine  in  the  lake  about  eight  miles 
toward  its  opening  into  the  sea.  The  lake  was 
opened,  and  the  canoe  was  upset  by  the  force 
of  the  waves,  and  five  persons  were  swept  to 


140        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLT 


sea  that  day,  and  he  was  found  on  the  eleventh 
on  the  seashore. 

"Oh,  ^Mother,  I  have  lost  a  dear  husband  and 
a  guide  to  my  way,  for  he  has  trained  me  for 
six  years  to  prepare  for  this  very  day,  that  I 
may  be  able  to  carry  on  the  work! 

"Dear  Mother,  I  owe  great  debt  to  your  Jacob 
for  the  care  and  patience  he  has  taken  with  me 
in  preparing  me  for  life's  great  work.  I  shall 
love  his  dust  in  the  grave. 

"I  am  your  bereaved  daughter.  I  ask  an  in- 
terest in  your  prayers. 

"Ruth  E.  Kenoly." 
"August  15,  1911. 

"Mrs.  A.  T.  Boss, 

"Eureka,  Illinois. 
"My  Deab  Mother  ln  Christ: 

"Your  good  letter  of  sympathy  was  received 
about  an  hour  ago. 

"I  was  proud  indeed  and  thanked  the  Lord 
for  having  raised  up  my  dear  Jacob  with  tlie 
spirit  he  possessed  to  come  to  Africa  to  work 
for  his  people.  By  his  coming  here  I  am  able 
to  try,  through  the  power  of  God,  to  stand  near 
his  post  in  the  great  battlefield  and  hold  the 
banner  that  he  raised  up  in  dark  Africa,  which 
is  the  flag  of  Christ.  It  is  a  grand  work.  I  am 
sure  I  will  have  to  meet  with  many  hard  prob- 
lems, but  with  your  prayers  and  my  prayers  I 


CLOSING  DAYS  AND  DEATH  141 


will  overcome  them.  I  know  the  prayer  o£  the 
grand  convention  was  answered  in  behalf  of  this 
work,  for  I  feel  stronger  every  day  when  I  am 
on  my  way  to  Ross  Building  to  teach  the  boys 
and  girls  and  explain  to  them  the  great  good- 
ness of  God  and  how  He  came  and  suffered  and 
died  and  rose  from  the  dead  and  is  now  making 
intercession  for  us.  Mother,  I  use  the  first  verse 
of  the  One  Hundred  and  Twentieth  Psalm  as  a 
breast-plate,  for  the  Lord  has  heard  me.  .  .  . 

* '  I  am  glad  to  know  that  Jacob  never  quit  the 
battlefield,  but  died  fighting  for  a  country  that 
was  seen  through  the  faith  that  is  found  in  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.  May  all  of  the  Christians  give 
us  their  prayers  that  we  may  do  our  duty  here 
as  faithful  servants !  I  would  to  God  I  might 
also  be  so  blessed  as  to  drop  my  cross  for  a 
crown!  But,  oh,  that  I  may  also  have  gathered 
sheaves  for  the  Kingdom  when  that  time  comes ! 

"I  am  your  daughter, 

"Mrs.  Jacob  Kenoly." 

To  the  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Mis- 
sions Mrs.  Kenoly  wrote  as  follows: 

"We  are  indeed  a  flock  without  a  shepherd, 
but  we  are  doing  our  best  in  trying  to  carry 
on  this  work.  I  am  appealing  to  you,  0  Chris- 
tians, and  praying  to  God  that  He  may  touch 
the  heart  of  some  good  follower  to  come  and 
help  us  to  hold  the  light  of  the  gospel  up  where 


142 


LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


it  will  shine  in  many  dark  places  in  Africa,  that 
the  heathen  may  come  and  be  saved. 

"One  of  our  brothers  died  the  first  Sunday 
in  June,  and  Jacob,  in  preaching  Sunday,  said, 
'I  may  be  the  next;  who  can  tell?'  Thursday 
he  preached  again  in  our  prayer-meeting.  He 
and  I  led  the  meeting  that  evening,  and  he  sang 
this  little  song, — 

'  I  gave  my  life  for  thee; 
"Wliat  hast  thou  given  for  Me?' 

And  every  person  in  the  meeting  was  in  tears; 
and  on  Friday  he  had  gone  home  to  be  with  the 
Master  whom  he  ser^'ed.  He  surely  gave  his 
life  for  his  people  in  Africa.  His  sympathy  for 
them  was  greater  than  one  could  tell.  His  time 
was  used  for  the  uplift  of  his  people  in  getting 
them  to  see  their  mistakes.  His  prayers  were 
always  very  sympathetic  in  behalf  of  the  un- 
fortunate ones.  His  life  was  example  enough 
if  he  had  not  taught  the  Bible,  and  his  life  be- 
ing parallel  with  the  Bible  made  his  teaching 
sweet  to  us.   He  practiced  what  he  taught. 

"I  am  told  by  the  boys  that  when  the  canoe 
was  upset  and  carried  to  sea  he  clung  to  it,  and 
he  was  brought  near  the  beach,  and  they  said 
to  him,  'Hold  on;'  but  he  said,  'No;  I  must  let 
it  go  now;  I  am  weak;  I  haven't  any  more 
strength ;  I  am  going, '  and  he  sank  beneath  the 
waves,  to  take  up  his  abode  with  the  Lord. 


CLOSING  DAYS  AND  DEATH  143 


"Dear  sisters,  make  me  and  the  work  liere  a 
subject  of  your  prayers.  Our  schools,  Sunday 
and  day  schools,  are  going  along  nicely;  only 
our  Lord's  day  preaching  is  vacant;  but  as  far 
as  we  can  reach  in  this  work  it  is  being  kept 
up  regularly.  I  am  doing  as  much  as  I  can  in 
trying  to  keep  these  people  together.  I  am  very 
lonesome  out  here  now. 

"Ruth  E.  Kknoly." 

September  25,  1911,  Ruth  Kenoly  wrote: 
"May  God  speed  the  day  when  other  workers 
will  be  sent  here  to  assist  in  spreading  the  news 
of  salvation  in  our  heathen  land!  I  am  doing 
the  best  I  can  in  carrying  on  the  work  in  the 
schoolroom  and  around  on  the  campus.  I  now 
have  about  thirty  students  attending,  and  seven- 
teen of  them  are  boarding." 

Other  letters  are  in  the  writer's  possession 
from  the  leading  men  of  the  Schieffelin  district, 
and  these  are  most  interesting  and  instnictive, 
for  they  form  a  beautiful  tribute  to  the  esteem 
and  love  in  which  Jacob  was  held  by  all,  and 
they  also  show  how  he  had  impressed  his  spirit 
upon  others.  His  pupils  all  adored  him,  fairly 
worshiping,  it  is  said,  the  ground  he  trod  upon, 
and  all  who  came  in  contact  with  him  seem  to 
have  partaken  of  his  spirit.  How  like  his  in 
spirit  are  the  letters  of  Ruth  Kenoly  and  of 
the  man,  Henry  Lewis !   So  it  is  with  all  the  let- 


144        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


ters  coming  from  those  who  had  learned  of  him. 
The  teachers  of  the  Southern  Christian  Institute 
say  that  James  Rundles  is  the  most  like  Jacob 
of  any  boy  ever  attending  that  school. 

I  shall  not  philosophize  about  the  workings  of 
Providence  in  that  this  life  was  ended  so  soon, 
excepting  to  say  that  the  only  way  I  can  see 
the  hand  of  God  in  it  is  that  He  has  transferred 
the  trust  laid  upon  one  to  us  all.  The  last  words 
written  by  Jacob  Kenoly  were,  "Our  school." 
Is  not  responsibility  laid  upon  us  to  see  that 
this  work  brought  forth  by  the  suffering  and 
sacrifice  and  final  surrender  of  this  life  shall 
not  be  allowed  to  die? 


CHAPTER  X 


CHARACTERISTICS  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 

The  character  of  an  individual  is  the  sum  of 
his  characteristics.  If  a  person  can  be  said  to 
be  great,  he  must  possess  great  characteristics. 
In  our  opinion  the  subject  of  this  sketch  stood 
on  a  level  with,  if  not  above,  any  in  his  age 
in  the  degree  in  which  his  soul  was  filled  with 
Christlike  qualities  and  his  life  filled  with  Christ- 
like deeds,  and  hence  that  he  was  great  in  the 
highest  sense  of  that  term.  Let  us  then  prove 
this  affirmation  by  mentioning  what  we  know 
to  have  been  some  of  his  characteristics.  It  is 
difficult  to  give  a  perfect  word-picture  of  a 
character.  Words  sometimes  refuse  to  tell  a 
perfect  story  of  the  endeavors  and  struggles  of 
a  truly  great  soul.  Yet,  if  we  can  in  these  lines 
convey,  though  imperfectly,  our  conception  of 
the  character  of  this  Christ-filled  man,  we  will 
be  satisfied. 

Great  was  his  sense  of  obligation.   An  expres- 
sion of  his  was,  "I  owe  all  to  Christ,  and  I  can 
only  pay  that  debt  by  doing  good  to  my  feUow- 
145 


146        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


men."  When  he  said  he  owed,  he  meant  it.  No 
obligation  could  be  more  binding.  It  was  just 
as  real  to  him  as  a  note  in  bank.  He  reasoned, 
"All  I  can  bring  by  way  of  payment  and  place 
at  the  feet  which  were  pierced  for  me  is  my 
reasonable  service  in  view  of  what  He  did  for 
me."  He  also  reasoned,  "I  can  best  pay  my 
debt  by  carrying  the  news  of  salvation  to  my 
own  race  who  know  it  not."  The  millions  of 
lost  in  Africa  appealed  to  him  for  salvation. 
Even  the  cannibal  in  his  ignorance  and  super- 
stition called  loudly  to  him.  All  in  darkness 
said  to  him,  "Give  us  light  I"  "I  owe  a  debt 
to  God  for  my  Christ.  I  must  pay  that  debt 
by  giving  Christ  to  my  people." 

The  amount  of  toil  he  gave  and  the  suffering 
he  willingly — yea,  joyfully — endured  showed  his 
conception  of  the  greatness  of  obligation.  I  owe 
all,  and  hence  I  must  give  all ;  not  simply  the 
tenth,  but  all.  If  the  Christian  world  could  get 
that  conception  of  obligation  it  would  carry  the 
message  of  salvation  to  every  soul  on  the  face 
of  the  whole  earth  in  a  single  generation. 

Then  he  was  singular  in  the  degree  in  which 
he  conceived  of  that  obligation  as  personal.  "I 
owe  all  to  my  Redeemer."  He  did  not  say, 
"I  ought  to  be  a  lightbearer  if  some  one  sends 
me,  but  I  owe  my  light  to  all  in  darkness."  He 
said,  "I  ought  to  go  and  tell  the  millions  who 
know  it  not  that  Christ  died  for  them,"  and 


CHARACTERISTICS  147 


he  simply  went.  He  did  not  say,  "I  will  help 
to  send  some  one  else  to  go."  He  did  not  ask 
any  aid  in  his  far-reaching  enterprise,  not  even 
confiding  in  his  most  trusted  friends  his  great 
purpose.  He  trod  the  winepress  alone.  He  was 
laboring  for  the  lost  in  Africa  before  any  one  in 
the  United  States  knew  of  his  going.  It  was, 
"As  much  as  in  me  is  I  will  carry  the  message 
of  love  to  the  unlovely  and  of  healing  to  tlie  sin- 
sick."  "When  in  Africa  laboring  for  the  be- 
nighted ones  there,  he  did  not  in  any  way  inti- 
mate to  his  friends  that  any  were  under  obli- 
gation to  aid  his  enterprise.  He  was  but  ful- 
filling his  own  sense  of  obligation  to  his  Re- 
deemer. "Wlien  any  aid  came  he  received  it  with 
surprise  and  as  an  evidence  that  God  was 
pleased  and  had  heard  his  prayer  for  the  salva- 
tion of  those  for  whom  he  was  working. 

To  an  unusual  degree  he  had  personal  com- 
panionship "wdtli  God.  It  was  told  by  one  of 
his  schoolmates  that  at  school  he  loved  solitude 
and  was  often  found  on  the  banks  of  the  Big 
Black  River  alone.  He  was  walking  with  God, 
and  not  alone.  He  was  laying  plans  mth  his 
Father  for  future  work.  "When  alone  in  the 
jungle  and  sick  for  weeks  at  a  time,  and  when 
only  one  wild  boy  ministered  to  him  in  his  hut 
on  the  mountain  side,  he  wrote  to  his  friend 
that  he  * '  felt  his  Sainior  standing  very  near. ' ' 
"When  his  way  seemed  blocked  by  unsurmount- 


148        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


able  walls  of  difficulty,  he  simply  thought,  "I 
was  mistaken.  God  did  not  -wish  me  to  do  this." 
When  the  sunshine  of  success  came  to  his  path 
he  reasoned  that  the  Father  was  pleased.  "When 
he  returned  thanks  for  any  aid  rendered  to  him 
in  his  work  he  always  included  God  in  his  grati- 
tude. "I  thank  my  Heavenly  Father  and  you." 
In  cloud  and  sunshine  God  was  his  constant 
companion.  He  said  often,  "If  I  do  what  I  can 
I  know  my  Father  will  open  the  way."  If  it 
had  not  been  for  this  constant  companionship 
he  would  surely  have  died  in  the  jungle  from 
loneliness. 

His  companionship  with  God  led  to  great  faith 
in  prayer.  He  never  closed  a  letter  without  a 
request  for  prayers.  This  was  no  formality. 
He  not  only  asked  God  for  the  things  he  most 
needed  in  his  work,  but  expected  an  answer ;  and 
when  the  answer  came  he  received  it  as  a  gift 
of  God.  Wlien  success  came  from  his  efforts 
and  light  streamed  on  his  path,  he  would  write 
to  his  trusted  friends,  "I  know  you  have  been 
praying  for  me."  He  wished  to  adopt  as  his 
motto,  "In  my  distress  I  cried  unto  the  Lord, 
and  He  heard  me."  When  without  equipment 
for  his  school,  he  prayed  for  a  blackboard;  and 
when  the  money  came  he  thanked  the  Father 
as  he  would  have  thanked  an  earthly  friend. 
The  infinite  was  let  down  to  earth  for  him. 
When  disaster  came  to  others,  he  led  his  school 


CHARACTERISTICS 


149 


in  the  dark  basement  in  a  cry  for  mercy  for  them 
to  the  God  of  heaven.  Every  day  he  asked  God 
to  bless  the  teachers  and  all  who  had  helped  him 
in  his  work.  When  he  was  almost  barefooted 
and  in  rags,  and  seven  dollars  came  with  the 
request  that  he  use  it  to  supply  his  personal 
needs,  he  wrote,  "I  know  God  told  you  of  my 
needs."  No  matter  what  may  be  a  soul's  en- 
vironment, it  is  safe  if  it  makes  God  a  constant 
confidant.  Disaster  can  not  sweep  away  the  one 
who  keeps  hold  of  the  hand  of  God. 

His  love  of  truth!  He  not  only  spoke  the 
truth  but  lived  the  truth.  All  who  knew  him 
intimately  speak  of  his  absolute  truthfulness. 
When  one  of  his  letters  came  telling  of  his  work, 
though  it  was  told  in  a  most  modest  way,  some 
one  deeming  such  things  impossible  said,  "He 
must  be  lying!"  Mrs.  Ross,  who  knew  him  so 
well,  exclaimed:  "Jacob  lie!  He  don't  know 
how. ' '  We  have  studied  his  letters  written  to  dif- 
ferent individuals  about  his  work  and  giving  his 
estimate  of  people  and  conditions,  and  while  dif- 
ferent people  called  out  a  somewhat  different  line 
of  thought  from  him,  yet  there  is  a  beautiful 
harmony  in  them  all.  After  making  careful 
inquiry  of  Dr.  Dye  and  from  others  who  knew 
of  conditions  near  him,  we  are  convinced  not  only 
that  he  told  the  truth  about  all  the  things  con- 
cerning which  he  wrote,  but  that,  if  anything, 
all  his  difficulties  were  minimized.   In  place  of 


150        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


exaggerating  lie  always  stated  things  under 
rather  than  over  the  full  truth  when  he  told 
of  his  own  struggles  or  of  his  own  successes,  and 
this  was  as  he  saw'  it  because  of  his  humility  and 
modesty.  After  a  conference  with  Dr.  Dye,  who 
had  studied  his  mission,  we  now  have  a  much 
fuller  appreciation  of  the  difficulties  surround- 
ing him  than  we  did  before.  All  his  statements 
are  borne  out  by  the  facts.  He  was  more  than 
truthful.    He  was  true. 

He  was  singularly  grateful  to  all  who  had  in 
any  way  aided  him  in  his  struggles  upward. 
Jacob  Kenoly's  gratitude  was  not  only  great,  but 
beautifully  expressed.  It  was  always  a  delight 
to  do  for  him  because  his  appreciation  was  so 
unbounded  and  so  hearty  and  as  natural  as  that 
of  a  child.  His  expression  of  gratitude  coming 
for  the  first  gift  to  relieve  his  necessities  after 
he  went  to  Africa  was  not  only  unique,  but  very 
beautiful,  coupling  as  he  did  in  his  thanksgiving 
not  only  the  giver,  but  God  who  inspired  the 
gift.  All  who  had  in  any  way  aided  him  in  his 
struggle  upward,  his  teachers  and  friends,  had 
at  aU  times  a  large  place  in  his  grateful  remem- 
brance. Amid  times  of  great  suffering  and  dis- 
couragement he  poured  out  in  all  his  letters 
thanksgiving  not  only  for  what  friends  had  done 
for  him,  but  had  been  to  him.  One  of  his  letters 
to  Mrs.  Ross,  telling  her  what  she  had  been  to 
him  in  the  way  of  inspiration,  is  most  touching. 


CHARACTERISTICS  151 


He  always  called  her  "Mother,"  as  that  term 
was  the  one  which  came  the  nearest  to  express- 
ing his  sense  of  obligation  to  her.  His  letters 
to  J.  B.  Lehman  abounded  in  touching  acknowl- 
edgment for  what  he  had  been  to  him.  He 
often  spoke  of  what  God  was  doing  in  Africa 
through  the  friends  in  the  homeland  which  He 
had  raised  up.  To  the  Executive  Committee  of 
the  Christian  Woman's  Board  of  Missions  he 
Avrote,  "I  feel  that  the  Christian  Woman's  Board 
of  Missions  is  the  hand  of  God  here  in  Africa, 
in  India,  in  America,  and  in  the  islands  of  the 
sea,  and  is  bringing  sheaves  for  His  Kingdom." 
He  was  so  grateful  for  the  things  he  did  receive 
that  he  never  murmured  about  the  things  he  did 
not  receive.  His  little  was  glorified  by  his  ap- 
preciation until  it  became  much.  His  gratitude 
became  a  fountain  refreshing  to  himself  and  a 
holy  tie  binding  his  friends  to  his  cause. 

A  special  characteristic  was  his  humility. 
With  a  purpose  as  high  as  an  apostle,  he  was 
still  meek  and  lowly  in  heart.  This  was  no  as- 
sumed or  sentimental  humility.  There  was  al- 
ways the  dignity  born  of  a  noble  purpose  in  all 
he  did  or  said.  Yet  there  is  not  a  line  in  all 
he  wrote  which  would  indicate  that  he  thought 
he  was  doing  anything  out  of  the  ordinary  in 
going  to  Africa  alone  to  try  to  redeem  the  land 
from  sin  and  win  it  for  Christ.  It  was  with  him 
as  a  matter  of  course.  "I  am  a  child  of  God" 
H 


152       LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


and  "I  must  be  about  my  Father's  business. 
I  am  redeemed  by  Christ,  I  must  carry  that  re- 
demption to  others.  Necessity  is  laid  upon  me. 
I  can  best  take  the  message  to  my  own  race. 
Of  course  I  must  go  with  the  'Good  News'  to 
my  people  who  have  never  heard  it."  Then, 
with  but  little  exaltation  of  his  own  deeds,  he 
was  quick  to  appreciate  greatness  and  goodness 
in  others.  We  have  to  read  between  the  lines, 
as  it  were,  to  discover  his  own  noble  deeds  and 
achievements,  but  he  would  exalt  others,  not  for- 
getting to  mention  the  least  thing  another  did. 
Then  nothing  of  his  own  desire  was  to  be  con- 
sidered for  a  moment  if  it  stood  in  the  way  of 
taking  Christ  to  the  lost.  It  was  difficult  to 
get  him  to  speak  of  his  own  personal  needs  be- 
cause he  was  always  so  full  of  the  needs  of  those 
about  him  whom  he  had  gone  to  help.  Yes,  he 
had  that  which  is  perhaps  rare,  a  mighty  pur- 
pose coupled  with  a  lowly  heart.  Humility  may 
be  born  of  weakness,  a  mere  negation,  but 
Jacob's  was  of  strength.  And  because  he  was 
meek  and  lowly  in  heart  and  went  to  redeem  the 
lowliest,  he  stands  with  the  noble  of  earth. 

Another  characteristic  was  his  practical  com- 
mon sense.  With  a  passion  for  souls  which  in 
this  age  would  be  called  almost  fanatical,  yet 
all  his  actions  were  controlled  by  sound  common 
sense.  He  harnessed  an  unbounded  zeal  to  wis- 
dom.  One  would  have  said  it  was  a  wild  project 


CHARACTERISTICS 


153 


to  go  as  he  went  to  take  Christ  to  Africa.  Yet, 
who  would  have  managed  the  whole  afEair  more 
wisely  than  did  he,  for  the  accomplishment  of 
his  purpose?  He  was  wise  in  his  employment 
of  methods  to  reach  the  land  he  wished  to  bless. 
Then  he  was  wise  when  he  first  reached  Africa. 
He  was  wise  in  his  movements  at  Schieffelin. 
While  he  was  wise  enough  to  seek  wisdom  from 
others,  yet  when  once  his  best  judgment  dictated 
a  course  he  could  not  be  moved  from  it  by  the 
caprice  of  others.  "Who  can  read  his  reasons  for 
selecting  his  permanent  school  site  and  for  all 
his  building  enterprises  and  for  all  his  move- 
ments amid  great  difficulties  and  not  be  im- 
pressed with  the  unique  wisdom  of  the  man? 
Who  among  us  could  have  adapted  acts  more 
perfectly  to  conditions?  Indeed,  what  unwise 
step  did  he  take,  though  he  walked  continually 
in  the  midst  of  great  dangers  and  difficulties? 
His  purpose  was  not  simply  to  do  a  little  good 
among  a  few,  but  to  redeem  Liberia,  and  he  pro- 
ceeded in  the  very  sanest  way  to  accomplish  his 
purpose.  He  was  a  man  of  visions,  but  he  was 
not  visionary.  He  was  wise  in  beginning  his 
work,  wise  in  its  development,  and  wise  in  his 
dealings  with  men;  but  above  all  he  was  full  of 
the  vnsdom  which  "cometh  from  above,"  for  he 
continually  sought  it  from  God.  Things  were 
revealed  to  him  not  revealed  to  the  "wise  and 
prudent."    By  the  unconscious  power  of  his 


154       LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 

great  life  he  won  all — ^won  the  confidence  of  the 
Liberian  government  officials  and  the  confidence 
and  love  of  the  Americo-Liberians  as  well  as  of 
the  wild  natives  and  (most  difficult,  perhaps)  the 
confidence  of  us  in  the  homeland. 

Another  element  was  that  of  hope.  On  all 
his  dark  way  in  a  dark  land  amid  sin  and  dan- 
gers and  suffering,  his  hope  shone  on  his  path 
as  bright  as  the  promises  of  God.  In  the  darkest 
hour  he  saw  the  light  of  a  better  day.  By  his 
hope  he  walked  in  a  glory-filled  future,  though 
he  dwelt  in  a  darkened  present,  and  this  hope 
was  an  anchor  to  his  soul,  for  it  reached  within 
the  veil.  One  sentence  written  in  a  letter  by  his 
wife  since  his  death  is  of  peculiar  significance. 
She  says,  "I  am  glad  to  know  Jacob  never  quit 
the  battlefield,  but  died  fighting  for  a  country 
seen  through  faith  that  was  founded  in  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord."  This  is  just  as  it  was — a 
country  seen  through  faith  and  hope  in  God. 

In  times  which  would  have  been  to  most  of 
us  most  discouraging  he  saw  hope  for  a  redeemed 
land.  He  saw  others  from  America,  who  were 
under  like  obligations  with  himself,  coming  to 
his  aid.  He  saw  the  boys  inspired  with  his  pur- 
pose and  trained  at  his  beloved  Southern  Chris- 
tian Institute  bringing  back  their  light  to  dark- 
ened Africa.  He  saw  great  buildings  meeting 
the  needs  of  a  great  school  in  which  lightbearers 
could  be  trained  to  go  into  the  darkest  paths  in 


CHARACTERISTICS  155 


the  jungle.  He  saw  a  great  training-school  along 
industrial  lines  lifting  the  land  out  of  heathen- 
ism and  bondage  to  its  terrible  practices.  He 
combined  in  his  hope  redemption  present  and 
future;  combined  things  material  and  things 
spiritual  for  his  adopted  country ;  a  new  Africa 
wherein  did  dwell  righteousness.  And  will  it 
not  be  a  shame  to  us,  who  have  been  led  to  new 
visions  of  service  by  him,  if  his  hopes  are  not 
fulfilled? 

Another  characteristic  was  that  he  made  every- 
thing in  his  life  tend  to  one  great  purpose.  His 
work  for  Christ  was  first  in  all  his  plans  and 
thoughts.  Everything  in  his  life  was  molded 
by  this  purpose.  "This  one  thing  I  do."  He 
considered  everything  in  relation  to  its  effect  on 
his  mission  to  the  lost.  Did  he  receive  money 
unless  "Specially  stipulated  otherwise,  it  could 
not  be  used  for  self.  All — all  must  aid  his  be- 
loved work !  He  said  to  his  wife,  "  I  so  love  my 
work,  I  would  gladly  die  for  it."  "Yes,  I  need 
James  Rundles  and  Peter  Dunson  to  aid  me  in 
this  hard  present;  but  how  about  the  future? 
They  must  receive  the  best  training  possible  to 
fit  them  as  missionaries  for  their  native  land,  no 
matter  what  it  costs  me. ' ' 

The  thing  perhaps  most  wonderful  in  this 
black  man's  life  was  his  marv^elous  consistency. 
Have  not  all  of  us  our  mountain-tops  and  our 
valleys?    If  judged  by  our  best  moments  we 


156        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


stand  higli  with  God  and  man.  If  judged  by 
our  worst,  we  cry  to  man  for  charitj'  and  to 
God  for  mercy.  Jacob's  life  was  great  in  its 
uniformity.  He  always  walked  seemingly  on 
the  mountain-top  with  God.  He  had  lofty  as- 
pirations, and  the  trend  of  his  whole  life  was 
true  to  his  highest  ideals.  All  who  knew  him 
personally  would  agree  that  every  act  in  his  re- 
ligious life  was  in  harmony  with  his  purpose  to 
uplift  humanity.  After  careful  study  of  many 
of  his  letters,  A^ritten  to  different  persons,  not 
one  passage  is  found  in  them  which  seems  un- 
true to  the  highest  purpose  which  ever  filled  the 
soul  of  man  or  a  line  untrue,  amid  aU  his  strug- 
gles and  difficulties,  to  the  spirit  of  the  Master. 
Surely  this  life  is  a  marvel  of  consistency. 
Living  under  pressure  of  work  which  would  have 
dismayed  the  strongest,  amid  sufferings  which 
would  have  weakened  most,  through  discourage- 
ments which  would  have  disheartened  even  the 
most  steadfast,  in  a  loneliness  which  would  have 
made  heartsick  the  most  loyal  to  Christ,  under 
burdens  which  would  have  crushed  any  whose 
strength  was  not  in  God,  amid  dangers  which 
would  have  daunted  the  bravest,  yet  not  one 
sentence  did  he  pen  unworthy  of  a  messenger 
of  Christ  to  the  lost.  Studying  him  in  his 
school-life ;  in  his  work  among  the  ignorant 
of  the  Ozark  ]Mountains;  in  his  sacrifice  to  lay 
by  in  store  for  his  dream  for  Africa;  in  his 


CHARACTERISTICS  157 


journey  to  a  far-off  land  bearing  tlie  torch  of 
truth;  in  his  destitute  and  helpless  state  as  he 
landed,  a  ragged  stranger  in  a  strange  land; 
in  his  year  of  sufferings  in  the  jungle-life, 
sick  and  surrounded  with  naked  natives  and  wild 
beasts ;  in  his  teaching  in  the  dark  basement ;  in 
his  struggle  to  build  a  house  for  himself  so  he 
could  better  serve  the  needy;  in  his  toil  amid 
awful  heat  to  erect  a  schoolhouse  so  he  could 
make  a  home  for  native  children ;  in  his  gather- 
ing together  and  supporting  half  a  hundred  of 
these  who  were  worse  than  orphans,  seeking  to 
provide  for  them  and  teach  them  and  send  them 
to  be  trained  to  bring  light  to  their  own;  in  his 
long  journeys  to  and  from  Monrovia  to  bring 
supplies  to  his  mission;  in  his  struggle  all  alone 
to  redeem  Africa, — yet  during  it  all,  as  far  as 
can  be  learned,  he  did  not  pen  one  sentence  or 
perform  one  act  unworthy  of  the  spirit  of  the 
Master.  Does  not  this  black  man,  in  the  great 
characteristics  of  Christ,  lead  us  all?  "Wlio  of 
us,  measured  by  his  conception  of  indebtedness 
to  Christ,  by  his  lofty  purpose  to  pay  the  debt, 
by  his  unselfish  method  in  -making  payment,  by 
his  wisdom  in  carrying  forward  his  mighty  un- 
dertakings, by  his  joyful  heroism  in  bearing  suf- 
fering, by  his  faithful  toil  for  others,  though 
sick  in  body,  by  his  faith  in  prayer  and  effort, 
by  his  hope  which  saw  success  through  the  dark- 
est cloud,  by  his  lasting  friendship  for  any  who 


158        LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


liad  aided  him  in  his  undertakings,  by  his  love 
for  the  unlovely,  even  the  naked  savage,  and  by 
his  meek  and  lowly  heart,  by  his  faith  which 
clung  to  the  hand  of  God  in  the  darkest  hour — 
has  as  much  of  the  Christ  spirit  as  he  ?  Yes,  by 
the  extent  in  which  in  his  life  he  did  reincarnate 
the  spirit  of  the  Master,  Jacob  Kenoly,  thou 
black  man,  thou  dost  surely  lead  most  of  us. 

If  the  character  of  Jacob  Kenoly  had  sprung 
from  one  who  had  generations  of  culture  and 
spirituality  back  of  it,  it  would  have  been  a 
wonder ;  but  coming  as  it  did  from  a  child  race 
and  from  one  whose  parents  were  slaves,  it  is 
a  marvel  in  our  missionarj'  annals. 

What  is  the  relation  of  this  life  to  all  mission- 
ary work  ?  It  certainly  does  not  teach  that  there 
is  no  need  of  organization  in  order  to  evangelize 
the  world.  There  are  at  present  few  Jacob  Ke- 
noly s.  Then,  while  he  went  as  an  independent 
missionary,  his  work  was  made  vastly  more  ef- 
fective b}^  the  aid  of  the  Christian  Woman's 
Board  of  Missions.  All  our  missionary  boards 
are  needed  as  the  most  effective  method  of  send- 
ing the  good  news  to  all  lands.  His  life  illus- 
trates that  the  lowliest  of  earth  can  do 
God  great  things  if  a  mighty  purpose  in- 
spires the  life.  Yet  the  greatest  value,  perhaps, 
to  those  who  seek  to  send  the  light  to  all  dark 
lands  is  the  nature  of  the  call  from  God  which 
filled  his  life  with  its  mighty  purpose.   The  call 


CHARACTERISTICS  159 


came  not  to  him  mysteriously.  Let  him  tell  it 
in  his  own  words.  He  had  with  almost  incred- 
ible toil  climbed  upon  the  mount  from  where  he 
could  see  the  world  in  a  measure  as  Christ  sees 
it,  and  he  said:  "It  had  always  been  my  desire 
to  relieve  suffering  humanity,  and  the  happiest 
hours  I  have  ever  had  were  when  I  made  some 
sacrifice  for  this  cause ;  even  before  I  was  con- 
verted I  felt  that  God  intended  to  use  me  some- 
where in  this  earth  for  this  purpose  of  lifting 
up  the  fallen. 

"I  was  converted  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  but 
found  no  comfort  in  living  for  myself.  Through 
God's  guiding  influence  I  was  led  to  the  South- 
ern Christian  Institute,  where  I  began  to  realize 
what  folloAving  Christ  meant.  It  was  there  I 
got  a  vision  of  duty.  I  learned  of  the  suffering 
creatures  of  Africa,  India,  and  China.  Through 
some  means  I  became  greatly  impressed  with 
Africa  and  began  to  read  everything  concerning 
this  country  I  could  find.  'As  you  have  received, 
freely  give,'  came  to  me.  Then  I  began  to  feel 
that  I  owed  my  time  to  Africa,  and  was  con- 
tinually impressed  with  the  fact  that  God  in- 
tended me  to  be  in  that  field.  I  felt  that  I  could 
face  the  cannibals,  the  wild  beasts,  and  whatever 
climatic  conditions  I  found  there.  The  above 
message  appealed  to  my  inmost  soul. 

"Then  I  decided  that  nothing  but  death  could 
prevent  me  from  reaching  the  shores  of  Africa. ' ' 


160       LIFE  OF  JACOB  KENOLY 


If  this  \dsion  of  the  world's  need  could  be  seen 

by  all,  and  the  call  to  relieve  it  be  heard  and 
obeyed  by  each  Christian,  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
would  soon  fill  the  whole  earth.  If  his  concep- 
tion of  stewardship  could  come  to  the  Church  of 
the  Redeemer,  all  our  missionary  treasuries 
would  soon  be  full.  Who  of  us  is  not  rebuked 
by  such  a  life  ?  Who  can  carefully  study  it  and 
not  be  quickened  in  spiritual  life  which  mani- 
fests itself  in  sers'ing  others?  The  light  which 
he  lit  in  an  obscure  hamlet  in  a  dark  land  will 
never  go  out,  but  it  will  "shine  more  and  more 
until  the  perfect  day." 

Then  tell  this  story  everywhere.  Tell  it  to 
the  ungodly,  it  will  give  a  new  meaning  to  con- 
version; tell  it  in  all  churches,  and  it  will  give 
a  new  conception  of  spirituality;  tell  it  to  all 
Mission  Boards,  it  will  give  an  added  sympathy 
for  those  who  struggle  with  problems  in  heathen 
lands.  Let  all  missionaries  of  the  Cross  hear  it, 
and  it  wiU  show  anew  the  exceeding  glory  of 
suffering  for  Christ.  Interpret  it  to  the  heathen 
world,  and  it  wiU  proclaim  the  coming  of  the 
Lord. 

May  we  then  repeat  that  this  was  one  of  the 
great  characters  of  the  world — "a  life  hid  with 
Christ  in  God." 


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